


I Still Believe

by keylimepie



Series: Charlotte 'Verse [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angels are Dicks, Blood and Injury, Crowley Being Crowley, Demons Are Assholes, Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Established Gabriel/Sam Winchester, F/M, Kid Fic, Kidnapping, Love Triangles, M/M, Men of Letters Bunker, Multi, Overprotective Dean Winchester, Protective Gabriel, Protective Sam, Romantic Angst, Slow Burn, Team Free Will, Temper Tantrums, Torture, Trickster Gabriel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-07-19 03:26:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 24,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7342762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keylimepie/pseuds/keylimepie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All is well with the two happy hunter/angel couples, until one day a call comes for Sam, from someone from a long time ago. Suddenly there is a very small Winchester in the bunker, and she's being hunted. Can Team Free Will keep her safe, and everyone happy?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The title is taken from the song of the same name from Miss Saigon. It's not an exact parallel but there are similar elements from that story to this, and I just really like that song.

_January 2008, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania_

The Impala was nearly packed up, save for Sammy and his personal effects, and Dean Winchester sat on the stool at the kitchen island, sipping a cup of coffee. It had been an entertaining few days. Finding out that Melanie Weiss, the librarian who’d helped them do their research at the local historical society, was a former hunter trainee, only sidelined because she’d developed fibromyalgia and couldn’t manage the physical demands consistently. Melanie was more than happy to help them in their task, and to put them up in her house, and to feed and pamper them. And then, figuring out this librarian chick with the plush curves, long auburn hair, and antiques addiction had been eyeing up Sammy. Giving his brother a nudge in that direction last night, after they’d returned victorious from ganking the ghost. Putting the pillow over his own ears so he could get some freaking sleep in the guest bedroom right next door to that rodeo. And now, making his own breakfast in her kitchen because it was 9:30 the next morning and… good God, were they at it again? Dean sighed. 

At last, Sam and Melanie reappeared in the kitchen, looking incredibly content, if not very well rested.

“Ready to hit the road, Sammy?” Dean asked with a grin.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m ready.” He slung his backpack over his shoulder, leaning down to give Melanie one last kiss. “Thank you. For everything,” he whispered against her mouth. 

She smiled. “Oh, my pleasure Sam.” 

Dean rolled his eyes. “Hey, give us a buzz if another case pops up.” 

“Sure thing. Good luck guys. Be careful out there.” She followed them out to the chilly front porch and waved as the hunters drove off to their next adventure. The night with Sam Winchester had been incredible, but she knew all about hunters and she had never expected anything further. Still, she would not forget about him in a hurry. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fateful phone call leads Team Free Will to investigate a danger to one of Sam's old flames. It's way more complicated than any of them had imagined, except for the one TFW member with some secrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, canon divergence. In this 'verse, Gabriel rescued Sam somewhere between S5/S6, NOT half-assedly like Cas, thankyouverymuch, and thus the events of S6, 7, 8, wherever we end up, will have played out in various different ways that I don't feel like explaining now. Please, if anything doesn't make sense reach out in comments. Either I didn't explain well or I didn't think it out myself. @.@

_March 2013, Men of Letters Bunker_

Dean squinted at the ringing phone. He didn’t recognize the number on the display and it was too early in the morning for any crap. He reluctantly disentangled himself from Castiel’s arms and reached for the phone. Too late, he just missed the call. In a few moments when the voicemail notification popped up, he clicked on it.

“Sam, this is Melanie Weiss. Maybe you don’t remember me, but we took care of a ghost together in Pennsylvania, about five years ago. I’m a librarian… kinda used to be a hunter, before that. You stayed at my place and we… had dinner… and… stuff. Look, I need your help very badly. I’m so scared and you’re the only person who can help me. Please, please call me back.” Dean tried to call the number back, hoping to glean more information, but an automated voice said the number was not in service. He got out of bed and went to find Sam and play him the message, maybe he would know what might be up with the girl, since he was the one who had slept with her. 

Sam was in the main room of the bunker with Gabriel, sipping a smoothie and typing away on his laptop while the archangel lounged in the chair next to him with an enormous bowl of frosted flakes. “Coffee’s ready,” Sam said to his brother, not looking up. 

“Sammy, listen to this,” Dean replied, playing the message out again. 

“Call her back!” Sam demanded, reaching for Dean’s phone. 

“Tried, but I’ll try again,” Dean said, hitting dial. But again, the call failed. 

“We should just go out there,” said Sam anxiously. He glanced over at Gabriel. “Um, just in the interest of disclosure, I, um…” 

“Banged her like a screen door? No hard feelings, kiddo. We hadn’t even met yet.” 

They arrived early the next morning, having rotated driving shifts, though Dean would still not let Gabriel drive. Melanie met them in the driveway, looking drowsy in pj pants and a baggy tshirt. Her auburn hair was in a layered cut a little longer than Sam’s own now, gone the long tresses, and she had crinkly lines in the corners of her eyes, and her curvy body had grown even more soft and rounded, but otherwise she looked much the same as Sam had remembered. Sam was the first one out of the car door and she threw herself into his arms for a quick hug. “Oh, thank God you came! I was afraid you wouldn’t get the message… I think something weird is going on with my phone now too, I can’t call anyone...” Dean was stepping out of the car, but she called across to him, “I’m glad to see you too, Dean, but can you wait outside for a few minutes first? I’ll explain in a little while.” With that she grabbed Sam by the hand, and pulled him toward the house. Sam stumbled along behind her, bewildered. 

“I didn’t want to tell you like this,” she was saying. “I’m so, so sorry. But there’s something wrong and I need your help.” 

“What?” Sam asked anxiously. She was leading him through the kitchen and dining room and into the living room. The television was on, some chirpy cartoon, and a little girl, about four or five, with long blonde hair was eating cheerios while watching it. 

“Meet Charlotte,” said Melanie softly. The child got up and came over to them, abandoning the cereal. She stared up at Sam, then reached up her arms nervously to Melanie, who picked her up. Sam stared at the child in shock. 

“She looks like Dean,” he finally blurted out, eyes wide. 

Melanie chuckled. “Yeah, genetics are funny, aren’t they? She’s… well I think you know, Sam.” 

“Oh my God,” he moaned, sinking into a nearby chair. 

“You look like you need a popsicle, mister,” the little girl pronounced, squirming down from her mother. She ran out to the kitchen. 

“How could you not _tell_ me,” Sam snapped, looking away from Melanie. 

Melanie sat in the chair next to him. “I know, I’m so sorry. I can’t ever make a decent excuse for that. I just thought it was better, at the time… I know you guys were in the middle of some big stuff, and when she was born, I knew Dean had just- well we all thought he was dead, and…” She waved her hands helplessly. 

Charlotte came back into the room, a popsicle in each hand. “I needed a popsicle, too,” she said, handing one to Sam. “Grape is the best. Do you like grape? You’re very tall. I’m going to sit on the table.” She climbed up a chair and got onto the dining table, sitting down in front of Sam. “I’m Charlotte Mary Winchester, what’s your name?” 

“Sam,” he choked out around the lump in his throat. 

“My daddy’s name is Sam. He’s away in a war to keep me safe. Did you know there are other guys in my kitchen? Do you know those guys? One of them is eating the Oreos. And one of them is grouchy. The other one I think is the businessman. Why do you have a businessman? Is he your boss?” She was threading her fingers through Sam’s hair in fascination as she spoke. He just kept staring, breathless. 

“I’m Sam Winchester,” he finally said. 

“My daddy?” Charlotte whispered, glancing to her mother, who nodded. She threw her popsicle onto the table and launched herself at Sam’s neck. He found himself holding the tiny girl tightly and sobbing into her hair. 

Dean, Castiel, and Gabriel had stood in the driveway, dazed, for a moment before walking in the kitchen door cautiously. Gabriel had convinced them to give the pair a moment of privacy, though both Dean and Castiel had wanted to barge into the living room and find out what was going on. They were still debating how to proceed, Dean busying himself with checking the kitchen for EMF and Gabriel with his hands in the cookie jar, when the tiny blonde child came into the kitchen. She said nothing to the three men, simply stared at them. She dragged a chair to the fridge, climbed up, and retrieved popsicles, then left the room. 

Castiel inhaled sharply. “Gabriel, did you…” 

“Yep,” he said wryly. “She is.” He glanced to Dean, who was looking back and forth between the angels in confusion. 

“Somebody start talking,” Dean growled. 

Castiel squeezed Dean’s shoulder as Gabriel plucked a paper from the top of a stack on the kitchen counter. A child’s drawing of a dragon burning a tree, with ‘Charlotte Winchester’ printed across the bottom in sturdy green crayon. He handed this to Dean silently. 

Dean stared at the doorway. “Oh, Sammy. What have you done?” he murmured. He reached up to clasp the hand Castiel had laid upon his shoulder. 

Melanie came into the kitchen. “Hey guys,” she said casually. “I didn’t know you’d be bringing friends, Dean. Help yourselves,” she added with an ironic glance at the side of Gabriel’s head, who was giving his full attention to the cookie jar. 

“Dean, do you maybe want to come in now-” she noticed the picture in his hand “-come meet your niece? I assume you’ve put two and two together and…” 

“Uh. Yeah.” He pulled away from Castiel and they exchanged a glance. Dean followed Melanie into the dining room. Sam sat in a chair holding the child tightly. Sam was weeping, straight on into ugly cry mode. Dean sat down uncomfortably across from them. 

“Hey,” Sam said, resettling Charlotte onto his lap. “This is your Uncle Dean, you know. He’s my big brother. Dean, this is Charlotte. My daughter Charlotte.” He stroked her hair softly and exchanged a glance with his brother. 

“Hey, Princess,” said Dean. “You sure are a cutie.” 

“Mommy said Uncle Dean was fighting the war with Daddy, too. If you’re both here, is the war done and we’re all safe?” 

Sam teared up again. “Yes- yes. The war is over.” 

“Yay!” she exclaimed. She scrambled back onto the table and over to Dean, through the puddle of melting popsicle. “You have freckles,” she said, poking at the bridge of his nose. 

“Yes I do,” Dean confirmed. “So do you.” 

“Mommy said the freckles are where angels kissed me. Did angels kiss you?” 

Sam chuckled, quickly disguising it as a cough. Dean glared across at him. 

“I guess he must have,” Dean agreed. “They. Yeah.” He and the child continued to stare at each other. Finally she leapt at him and kissed him on the cheek. 

“Haha, now I kissed you too!” she chortled. 

Dean ruffled her hair. “Thanks, sweetie. So hey, that reminds me, we should introduce you to our… to the other guys with us.” 

“Are they my family too?” 

“They’re our family… so yeah.” Dean stood and walked back into the kitchen, Sam close behind him with his daughter in his arms. 

“This is Castiel. He’s my… him and I are… well he’s your uncle too,” Dean faltered. 

“Cas-ti-el,” she pronounced carefully, staring at the angel. He stared back, squinting a little. 

“We call him Cas,” Dean added helpfully. 

“Uncle Cas,” she amended. “Okay.” 

“And this is Gabriel,” Sam said, holding Charlotte on his hip. “Gabriel is my boyfriend. So…” 

“You just call me Gabe,” he said, smiling. “Congrats, Sam. Your daughter is great.” To Charlotte he said, “stick with me, kid, I’m the fun one.” 

“Oh, he’s a barrel of laughs,” Dean said tartly. 

Melanie stared at Gabriel, noticing his face for the first time. “Gabe? The Physician Assistant? I can’t believe it’s you! I haven’t seen you since the day she was born!” 

Gabriel’s eyes opened wide. “Oh, erm…” 

“You’ve met?” Sam exclaimed, fixing Gabriel with a suspicious eye. He set Charlotte down carefully and turned his full attention to the archangel in front of him, who was starting to look very uncomfortable. Charlotte took advantage of this moment to grab a few Oreos and wander over near Dean and Castiel, tugging on the latter’s coat and flapping it back and forth experimentally. 

“The first time, he was in the ER when I went in. I thought I had food poisoning; I was super dehydrated. He’s the one who told me nope, I was actually pregnant.” 

“Does that gig never get old for him?” Dean muttered as an aside to Castiel. Castiel looked reprovingly at him. 

“Gabriel, did you seriously know?” Sam demanded. 

“Uh… I kind of forgot that I was wearing this at the time…” he murmured quietly to Sam. “Didn’t think she’d know me.” 

“That is _so_ not the point. Did you _know_ all this time that I had a daughter?” 

“But wait how would either of you know that the other knew me?” Melanie reasoned. “I’m sure it’s just a wild coincidence. That two guys that I lik- knew would end up together.” 

“I knew,” Gabriel admitted with a sigh, throwing his hands up in surrender. “But Sam, we need to have this chat later. Let’s prioritize.” 

“There’s some stuff we need to talk to you about, Melanie,” Dean interjected. “Probably best if Princess goes and watches some more Looney Tunes.” 

“What’s a Looney Tune?” said Charlotte, crinkling her nose. 

“Arg, you’re killin’ me!” Dean exclaimed. “Come on, I’ll find you some real cartoons.” He led the girl back into the living room. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback a few years to how Gabriel and Melanie met, and Charlotte's birth. And a special guest star old friend o' Gabe's!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Birthy details in here, fyi. I'm a birth geek and these things happen.

_February, 2008, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania_

Melanie sluggishly walked into the emergency room and made her way to the triage desk. “So sick. Been throwing up for days… think I’m dehydrated,” she mumbled. She soon found herself in a treatment cubicle, hooked up to an IV and desperately dry heaving into a basin. Several vials of blood had been removed for testing and she hoped that there was Zofran in her future, though in her current state, she felt that death might be okay too. 

The Physician Assistant who had been tending to her came back into her room. Melanie registered that he was good looking, vibrant, and witty, though she was not up for appreciating it at the moment. “Feeling any better yet? Your color is looking better. Way less green.” His tawny eyes sparkled when he looked at her. 

“I still feel green,” she croaked. “Any idea what is up? I had some clam chowder last week, now that I remember. I think it was in my freezer since last year. Thought it would have been safe, but…” 

“Fraid that’s not it, kiddo.” The cute PA sat down on the stool by her bedside. He watched her carefully. “You’re actually with child.” 

“…what?” Melanie gasped, panicked. “Oh Jesus.” 

“I guess the guy isn’t a keeper?” 

“Great guy actually, but… I know he’s got too much going on for this.” Melanie sighed, her hand drifting over her stomach and finding no outward change. “This does not seem real,” she moaned. 

“Oh honey, it’s real. Trust me, I know real from not real. Look, you seem like the kind of woman who can deal, man or no man. Cheer up, kiddo.” He reached out to pat her hand awkwardly. Melanie sniffled. 

“I guess… it’ll just take some getting used to.” 

“I’m going to give you the info for an OB/gyn clinic. Best around. Sometimes I moonlight there, so… maybe I’ll see you around. Feel better, Melanie.” He reached out and smoothed the hair away from her sweaty forehead. Melanie noticed that the nausea and headache had lifted, and she relaxed back against the pillow as the PA meandered out of the room, leaving Melanie alone with her new reality. 

She did choose the OB/gyn clinic on the business card. It was a nice practice and most of her visits were with the midwife Amber, a gorgeous woman with long reddish blonde hair and cat tattoos on her forearms, and a brilliant necklace of garnet and pearls always hanging down over her scrub tops. She had a lusty laugh and a confident air, and Melanie looked forward to their visits. She saw that cute PA a few times, passing in the hallways of the clinic. He always winked at her, and often offered her Jolly Ranchers or Snickers or Mary Janes, her favorite candies always somehow appearing out of his pockets and in his outstretched hand. Sometimes if she had a long wait he would pop into the waiting room, on his break, and sit and watch TV with her. He was incredibly funny and she never tired of listening to him rip into and criticize the terrible people on the courtroom dramas. 

Melanie’s health improved after the unpleasant start. The nausea faded away to nearly nothing. Her fibromyalgia went into remission, and very fortunately, her medication had not had any effect on the growing fetus. The midwife Amber gave her some custom herbal tea blends and extracts to boost her health as well. “Shh, don’t tell the OBs, they disapprove of my hippie-dippy ways,” she’d said, chuckling. 

Melanie made room in her life for the child. She toyed with the idea of calling Sam, but when she had nearly made up her mind to do so, news of Dean Winchester’s death reached her through the hunter community and she decided against it. Poor Sam had enough on his plate, and perhaps it was just as well to keep their distance for safety. The cute PA was right. Melanie could handle this on her own. 

It was a beautiful early fall morning when her labor set in. Melanie’s mom drove her to the hospital. She was pleased to see that Amber was there to attend her. Amber’s soothing presence and Melanie’s mom squeezing her hand got her through the early hours of walking the halls, rocking on the yoga ball, and short naps curled up on her side in the bed. She was a little sad that the PA – why didn’t she know his name? – was not there, but maybe he wasn’t working today. 

She started feeling like pushing early in the afternoon. Mom rang the buzzer, but it was not Amber who responded, but some unknown nurse. She was soon followed by another nurse and the OB. Sweaty, red faced, and squatting on the bed supported by the squat bar, Melanie quickly pushed her daughter into the world.

The little girl had the barest hint of Dean’s features in her scrunched up little face. Melanie held her daughter and kissed her, thinking of the cocky, brash uncle that she could never meet now, and the sweet, brilliant father who didn’t even know that there was a new Winchester. The latest news in the grapevine was that Sam’s behavior was erratic and dangerous since losing his brother, and she worried that he might no longer be the awkward, sexy, nerdy boy she’d romped with just nine and a half months earlier. 

She leaned back against the pillows, admiring her baby as the medical team finished up whatever uncomfortable things they needed to do to her already quite sore nether region. She started to feel that perhaps she was going to go to sleep now, since she had worked so hard and was so very tired, when machines started beeping. “Can’t get the bleeding to stop – BP is dropping,” someone said in a not very comforting tone. Someone lifted the squirming bundle from Melanie’s arms and passed her to her mother. The last thing she heard before drifting off was Amber bursting into the room. “Holy Hel, what happened? Melanie?! _Skíta!_ ”

When Melanie next awoke, the handsome PA sat at her bedside. She looked around in a confused panic. “My baby…“ she croaked out. 

“She’s perfect,” he said reassuringly. “You’re in recovery and your mother is waiting in your room falling in love with her.” 

“Why am I here?” she asked trying to sit up, only to be struck with searing pain in her stomach. 

“Don’t move, kiddo,” he cautioned, shifting to stroke her forehead soothingly, and the pain subsided. “You had surgery.” 

“What? No, no, my baby came out the normal way,” she replied fuzzily. 

“Well yes, but then you died, and the doctors did the best they could with their medical arts. They cut you open and out came your womb. Actually, effective, if crude. They also pumped you full of other people’s blood.” He made a disgusted face. 

“A hysterectomy?” Melanie moaned. “Oh God.” 

“Better than dead, considering. Oh, kiddo, I’m so sorry Amber and I were not in there. No one thought you’d pop the kid out so fast.” His voice was heavy with guilt. 

“It’s okay,” she whispered. “You’re… it’s not like…” She trailed off weakly as he leaned in and pressed a quick gentle kiss to her lips. 

“I don’t even know your name,” she whispered. 

“You can call me Gabe,” he said after a pause. “But right now, Melanie, rest and recover so you can see your beautiful daughter again. Do you know what you’ll call her?” 

“Charlotte Mary Winchester is her name,” said Melanie before drifting off to sleep again. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Difficult conversations are had, secrets come out, and we see a bit of what Charlotte can do, much to Dean's dismay.

_March 2013, Melanie’s kitchen_

Melanie watched her daughter scamper into the living room, Dean following close behind. She leaned against the counter, watching Sam. He was still glaring down at his boyfriend, who was squirming uncomfortably. 

“So…” Sam began, turning his back on Gabriel pointedly. “Mel, first of all, can you tell us what led you to contact us this week? You kept this secret for five years. Why now?” 

“I’m worried about Charlotte. She seems to be able to see things that aren’t there. And sometimes she know things before they happen. I hoped that maybe it was just a little psychic ability… but I’m scared. It’s gotten stronger lately. And just… vague and creepy.” She shuddered. 

“Oh God.” Sam felt a sudden lurch of fear. 

“Could it be the demon blood? Sam, were you infected when you conceived her?” Castiel asked. 

“The what?” asked Melanie. 

“It’s okay; I’m clean now. Yeah, I still had whatever from when I was a baby, but I hadn’t started with Ruby, yet.” Sam answered. “Oh God, could that have hurt her?” 

Gabriel frowned. “I don’t think so. She had the tiniest trace, when she was born, and I cleaned that up.” 

“What?” Melanie demanded, turning to Gabriel. “What kind of PA are you?” 

“Gabriel’s not a PA,” Sam sighed. “He’s-” Sam paused, hesitant to blurt out his lover’s secrets. 

“Archangel Gabriel, at your service,” he said with a shrug. 

Melanie stared at Sam, then at Gabriel. “Are you serious? An archangel? An archangel pretending to be a PA who flirts with pregnant patients and then hooks up with the father of their baby? And disappears without a trace?” She poked at his chest. “That _hurt_ , by the way.” 

Gabriel sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Sorry to have run off like that. I had meant to protect you guys. But there was so much going on, Apocalypse-wise. At first, I had been afraid that the kid was going to be earmarked as backup vessel if Sam didn’t work out, and I wanted to head that off if possible, but then I also had to trail Sam and I ended up mixed up with getting him safe and it all became a moot point anyway. Look, guys, can we agree that it was a weird time for all of us and deal with the situation at hand? That little girl needs us to. Cas, let’s go scan her.” 

“Already did,” Castiel answered. “No residual demon blood. I suspect she may be genuinely psychic. But she is being exposed to something which is amplifying it. Something feels off about her. It’s nothing I’ve ever seen before, though I feel it should be familiar.” He frowned in frustration. 

“Cursed object?” Sam suggested. “Anything new in the house Melanie? Anything old and weird?” 

“I’m a history geek. Old and weird is what I live for.” Melanie threw up her hands. “I mean, look around guys. Half the stuff in this house is antiques.” Her head was spinning and she still could not make sense of half of what these guys had just said. Angels, demons, vessels, Apocalypses? What had the Winchesters been caught up in, anyway? 

“Well we’ll just go through everything,” Sam answered. “Do you keep records of what you get, when and where from, that kind of thing?” 

Melanie shot him a withering glance. “Do I keep records,” she muttered. “Records, he asks! Oh, Sam, you really have forgotten me.” She walked into the dining room and pulled a log book out of the desk drawer, handing it to Sam. The angels wandered over to the adjoining living room and joined Dean and Charlotte in front of the television. Charlotte was perched on Dean’s lap, arms threaded around his neck, giggling at the antics of Tom & Jerry. 

“And you say it started about two weeks ago?” Sam flipped to the last page.

“Yeah, I would say so. But I haven’t even really gotten much new lately.” 

“Anything specifically for Charlotte, maybe? Anything in her room?” 

“Four year olds and antiques don’t really go together,” Melanie said with a chuckle. “Her room is all her favorite characters and stuff. Come, let me show you. Maybe something will click, something I’ve missed.” Gabriel watched as Sam followed the woman up the stairs, his face inscrutable. 

“You’re not really grouchy,” Charlotte was assuring Dean with a smile. “You are pretend-grouchy.” Her attitude suddenly shifted. She gazed off to the distance, her face blank. “But you will be really angry at me. And then I’ll...” she jumped off Dean suddenly and went to stand in front of the television, putting the coffee table between herself and the elder Winchester. “There will be so much light,” she whispered. 

Gabriel knelt in front of her. “Does somebody tell you these things? Like a secret friend maybe?” 

Charlotte squirmed. “Secret means I can’t tell you.” 

Gabriel grinned. “Aw come on, I’m _really_ good at secrets.” He made a zipping motion across his lips. “If it makes you feel better, you can whisper.” A chocolate bar suddenly appeared in his outstretched hand, and he winked at her. 

The little girl looked wary, but she reached for the candy. He held the chocolate just out of reach. “Secret first,” he said teasingly. He leaned over so her ear was at his level. 

“They come to me. In the woods where I go play, and they’re there sometimes, and they give me a drink and tell me they’re gonna take me somewhere nice. Soon I think. They said I would have to meet my Daddy first.” Her childish whisper was loud enough that Dean and Castiel heard as well. “But I don’t think they see the same things I see, though.” 

“Do they have names?” asked Gabriel in the child’s ear. “Do they look like people?” 

She nodded, wrinkling her nose. “Weird names. I dunno.” 

“Can you remember any of them at all?” 

“I think there was… oh, the lady. She’s Nomi.” 

Gabriel dug his fingernails into his palm to keep the rage from displaying on his face and frightening the child. “Is that so? Let me guess, they all dress like business executives?” Charlotte nodded, grabbing for the chocolate. He released it to her with a small smile, and ruffled her hair. She plopped down close in front of the television with her new treasure, and was soon a chocolatey mess. 

“What the hell do those dicks want with this kid?” Dean hissed. “What could they possibly…” He ran a hand through his hair, trying not to think about the implications of her visions or predictions or whatever. Who knows how a four year old would interpret psychic crap, probably wrong, must be wrong. 

“And why would her meeting Sam be critical to their plans?” Castiel mused. 

“Because it isn’t the child we want,” replied a smooth female voice from behind the couch. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confrontation! Gets a little bloody, brace yourselves.

The men leapt from their seats and into defensive mode. Castiel scooped the chocolatey child against his shoulder, holding out his angel blade with the other hand. Gabriel had his blade out and stood in front of them. Dean had a knife in one hand and a pistol in the other, though they were largely useless against angels, and was blocking the stairs. 

“But if we remove your distractions, Gabriel, you may actually come home and do your duty to Heaven.” Naomi waved her hand and one of Naomi’s followers was leading Sam down the stairs, angel blade held his throat. Dean glared menacingly at the angel in the body of a young, suited man, tense with frustrated rage. 

“My duty?” scoffed Gabriel, his movements loose and casual. “There are no messages to deliver anymore. Nothing for me to do but judge. Shall I start with you?” he gestured at Naomi with the tip of his blade, smirking. “I can tell you how clean your hands aren’t, sweetheart.” 

“As the last remaining archangel, your duty is to step in and lead, Gabriel. Stop all the fighting,” she said, frowning and calm. “I’m disappointed that you have refused to do so thus far.” 

“Not my bag, baby. It’s a lost cause. It never works, because all the rest of you _want_ the fighting.”

“We really don’t. We just want leadership that understands what’s important.”

“I suspect that our definitions on that differ. You really, really wouldn’t want me in charge. Hell, Sam won’t even let me organize the sock drawer.”

“Well, naturally you’d have to delegate a lot of duties. I have assembled a rather efficient-”

“Uh huh. Yeah, sorry, not interested in being your figurehead for your little dictatorship. You kids will just have to learn to play nice while Daddy’s away, ‘cause big bro is not your babysitter. Now, let my boyfriend go before this gets ugly.” His eyes flashed dangerously.

“Not happening, Gabriel. Sam’s coming with us until you decide to come home. We intended to bring the child, but Sam will do.” She lifted her hand to signal to the angel on the stairs, but before she could complete the maneuver there was a flash of light and the angel had dropped to the ground, dead. Melanie stood behind him looking surprised at the bloody angel blade in her hand. Gabriel lunged at Naomi with a ferocious shout, but she quickly disappeared. 

“Thanks,” Sam exhaled shakily, his eyes meeting Melanie’s. She smiled weakly at him.

“No big deal. I mean, angels didn’t exist an hour ago and now I’ve killed two of them.” She stepped over the body, stumbling a little into Sam, who reached out to steady her and help her down the stairs. 

“Sit,” he commanded. “Was that your first kill?”

“I guess so. I never did get far enough into hunter training to actually kill anything. Dug a grave, burned some bones, not the same.” Melanie sunk onto the sofa and Charlotte sat on her lap quietly. 

“You both need protection,” said Castiel. 

“Like what?” asked Melanie. 

“Well, angel warding, for starters.” With no further warning, he pressed his palms to Melanie and Charlotte’s chests. Melanie gasped at the burning, scraping sensation inside her chest. Charlotte shrieked and kicked wildly at the angel. It was over in seconds and the child curled up against her mother, sobbing. Melanie glared at Castiel, who looked confused. 

Gabriel rubbed his hand across his face. “Smooth, Cas.” 

“Jesus, Cas, you could have warned them,” muttered Sam, squatting down near the child and smoothing her hair. “It’s okay sweetie. He did something to keep those jerks from finding you again.” 

“We gotta get them out of here, though,” said Dean. 

“Yeah,” said Sam, his eyes meeting Melanie’s. She gulped. 

“Where?” she asked. “I mean, even if I go to my mom’s, I’m sure they can figure that out easily enough. Is it even safe to use my credit card and check into a hotel? Do angels hack into your bank account?” 

“You’re coming home with us. It’s safe there. At least until we figure this all out,” Sam said gently. 

“Pack a bag,” said Dean brusquely. 

“What about the dead angels littering my house?” Melanie gesturing at the body on the stairs. “There’s another one upstairs, too.” 

“Got it,” said Gabriel. He snapped his fingers and the bodies disappeared. “How did you manage to take him down, by the way?” 

She shrugged. “He underestimated me. I kicked his blade out of his hand and stabbed him with it.” 

Melanie fetched a box of trash bags from the kitchen and headed up the stairs. Gabriel followed her, Sam and Charlotte trailing after them. She handed Charlotte and Sam a few bags. “Go in your room and stick all your favorite clothes and toys in here.” The child nodded, and Sam followed her in. Gabriel went into Melanie’s bedroom with her and plopped cross-legged on her bed as she started packing. She looked up at him in surprise. “Following me into my bedroom?” she teased. Gabriel looked down, blushing. 

“Not leaving any of you alone. No telling when…” 

“Yeah, I figured,” she replied, cramming clothes into bags. “So… you and Sam, huh?” 

“Mmhm. Well, you know, I tried to help him stop that whole Apocalypse thing… he didn’t listen to me, of course, stubborn Samsquatch, but he did it anyway and I helped him clean up the mess afterwards. And by that, I mean him. He was the mess.” Gabriel shuddered with the memory. “Anyway, we became close after that. Once you’ve smuggled someone’s soul out of Hell, all nestled in with your own, fighting off two of your jerk brothers… sex just seems to come naturally.” 

“Angels have sex?” Melanie stopped and stared at him. 

“Well, only the really handsome and fun ones. Oh, and Castiel, of course.” 

“I’m kind of glad I never believed in fluffy-winged harp-playing angels, because I would be really disillusioned right now.”

Gabriel chuckled. “Glad to have not burst any bubbles. Though… my wings _are_ pretty sexy and I _can_ play the harp.” 

Melanie had stacked up three trash bags containing what Gabriel thought must be most of her wardrobe. “Help me carry?” she asked. 

“Sure thing, babe.” He snapped his fingers and they disappeared. 

“You keep doing that. I hope it’s not all going to the same place.” 

“They’re in the back of your minivan,” he assured her. “The clothes. Not the angels.” 

They went into Charlotte’s room. Sam was dutifully putting stuffed animals and dolls into the bag. Charlotte was jumping on her bed and singing. 

“Charlotte, you’re supposed to be helping your Daddy,” Melanie grumbled. “And we do not jump on the beds.” 

“Sorry,” she singsonged, landing flat on the bed on the next bounce. 

“I think I got everything, anyway,” Sam said. “Come on Pipsqueak, let’s get this stuff in the car.” He hefted the two bags and Charlotte put on her backpack, full of her favorite things. 

Dean and Castiel had been working on warding the house as best as possible. Doors and windows and walls were painted in symbols. Charlotte gasped when she came down the stairs. “Mooooooommy they DREW on the WALLS!” 

Melanie looked around weakly. “I… guess so, yeah.” She went to the pantry and pulled out a cat carrier, scooping up the pile of orange fluff sleeping in the rocking chair. 

“What are you doing with that?” Dean asked, his lip curling in disgust. 

“I am not leaving Pumpkin to fend for himself.” Melanie said firmly. 

“I told you we needed a cat,” said Castiel, smiling. Dean sighed in defeat. 

“The cat goes in your car, though,” he declared. “Sammy and Gabriel in your car with the kid and the furrball, you with me and Cas.” 

They made a final sweep, Melanie grabbing various things as she went, including a frenzied attempt to stuff books and papers into empty beer boxes. At last the minivan was packed full, the house was locked, and Melanie secured Charlotte into her car seat, showing Sam the process. She kissed the child on the forehead and cheeks, big sloppy noisy kisses which made Charlotte giggle. “I love you, Lottie. Daddy and Gabriel will take good care of you, and I’ll see you tonight.” Melanie turned to them and hugged them as well, first Sam and then Gabriel. “Call me if you have any questions?” 

“Sure,” said Sam. “We’ll manage fine, I’m sure.” His face seemed to have a different opinion, with all the anxiety and uncertainty of a new parent. Gabriel patted his shoulder steadyingly. 

They drove off west toward Kansas, Melanie staring out the back window of the Impala at her little house in the distance. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel flexes his stepdad muscles, there is adorableness, but don't anyone get too cozy, okay? More secrets come out and things get a little more complicated.

They pulled into a motel somewhere in Indiana at nightfall; Sam, Gabriel, and Charlotte arriving first in the minivan. Sam carefully unbuckled the sleeping child and carried her into the motel room, marveling at the feel of the tiny body in his arms and the spill of fine blonde hair across them. He’d helped make this. He, Sam Winchester, had a daughter. The lines of the sleeping face were so like Dean’s when he was relaxed and asleep, and Sam realized with a start that he could see that it was Mary’s features as well, maybe even moreso than Dean’s. He laid the child down on the couch gently. 

Gabriel came in behind him with the cat carrier. He freed the cat, who immediately ran under a bed. The motel suite was quite spacious, with two separate bedrooms off a main area with a kitchenette, and couches and a TV to one side. Sam was glad that he had allowed Gabriel to make the room arrangements. They bustled around the suite, painting sigils. Gabriel sliced his palm and painted one in his own blood that Sam didn’t even recognize. 

“Where’s Mommy?” Charlotte asked sleepily. 

“Not here yet. They’ll be here soon,” Sam promised, sitting next to her. “Uncle Dean called and said that Mommy made him stop like a million times. So they’re a ways behind us. Would you like something to eat or drink?” Charlotte nodded. It had been hours since their fast food lunch stop. 

“What can I get you?” asked Gabriel, rubbing his hands together. “Anything the lady commands.” 

Charlotte giggled. “I bet you can’t. I want zookany bread like Mommy makes with the zookanies from the garden in the summer, and cream cheese. And chocolate milk. But I bet you can’t get it.” 

“Zookan… zucchini?” Sam asked, impressed. He remembered that Melanie had had a remarkable pantry full of home canned vegetables, and a kitchen garden covered with burlap and snow, and that her freezer had produced strawberry rhubarb pie and homemade spaghetti sauce during his brief stay in her life. Weren’t her parents hippie farmers in the 70’s or something like that? Sam felt a little guilty that he had forgotten all these details. 

“Mommy grows them and freezes lots. Lots of veggies. This year I get to have my own garden too.” 

Gabriel grinned. “It’s a challenge, but…” he turned, snapped his fingers, and a loaf of zucchini bread sat on the table, along with a brick of cream cheese, milk, and chocolate syrup. “There you go, Sammich. Make your daughter her dinner.” 

Sam bent down to give Gabriel a quick kiss, then sat at the table across from Charlotte and set to work slathering cream cheese on thick slices of zucchini bread. Sam wondered if Gabriel had just stolen it from Melanie’s freezer. Charlotte seemed to approve of it. Sam mixed a little chocolate syrup into a glass of milk and set it in front of her as well, then passed the items to Gabriel, as Sam knew he would want to make himself some as well. 

“Incidentally, I could go for a chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomato and honey mustard. And an apple. Honeycrisp.” Sam said, catching Gabriel’s eye with a smirk. Gabriel looked a little pained at the request, but he snapped and it appeared in front of Sam. 

“You got more syrup than me,” Charlotte whined. Gabriel looked at the pale liquid in her glass, and at the dark brown milk in his. 

“Samshine, you can’t skimp on the syrup,” he chided. “She’s a growing child.” He snapped his fingers and Charlotte’s glass matched his own. 

Sam rolled his eyes. “And you can’t feed her an endless supply of sugar,” Sam countered. “She’s a human child, and diabetes is a real thing.” 

“Oh, she’ll be fine,” Gabriel scoffed. 

Charlotte watched back and forth between them. “Are you making dessert?” she asked Gabriel. 

“Have some chicken,” Sam replied, putting a piece from his sandwich onto her plate. She made a face, but popped a piece of chicken in her mouth and started chewing. A look of surprise went over her face and she looked at Gabriel who winked at her. The chicken had transubstantiated into delicious chocolate cake. She continued eating, and soon had cleaned her plate and drained the glass of rich chocolatey milk. 

There was a knock at the door, and Gabriel went to open it cautiously. Dean, Castiel, and Melanie came in, bearing pizza boxes. Charlotte flew to her mother and grabbed her legs. Dean put the pizza down on the table and nodded to Sam, then carried his duffle into one of the bedrooms. 

“Baby!” Melanie shrieked, picking the child up with a swoop. “How was your drive?” 

“Good,” she answered. “We had nuggets and milkshakes, and I had a nap, and Gabe told me stories about his kids. He has a wolf, and a horse with EIGHT LEGS.” 

Melanie blinked. “Well. I’m glad you had fun.” She balanced the child on one hip and grabbed a slice of pizza out of the box with the other. “And you’ve had dinner I guess? We didn’t know if you got food, so we grabbed pizzas.” 

“Yummy food,” Charlotte agreed. “Gabe made it.” Dean made a face, but decided against mentioning his discomfort with Gabriel’s conjured foodstuffs. He walked over to the TV, found Dr. Sexy MD, and was soon seated in front of it with a slice of pizza and a beer. No sooner had he gotten comfortable than Sam stalked over and flipped it off. 

“You can’t watch that with the kid around, Dean.” 

“Are you freaking kidding me? Do you remember what we used to watch?” 

“Yeah, I do,” Sam replied, grim faced. 

Dean scowled but didn’t answer. He continued to chew his pizza in silence. 

Melanie walked back and forth across the room, bouncing the child on one hip and eating pizza with the other hand. Gradually, the child went boneless and limp against her shoulder, and Melanie carried her into the bedroom and laid her down on the bed. She sat there watching her daughter sleep and, finally relaxed and alone, began crying silently. A few moments later, Sam came into the room. He sat carefully on the foot of the bed, eyes fixed on the little girl. 

“She’s so… incredible,” he said. 

Melanie nodded. “It’s amazing how much of a Winchester she is, without even your influence. Stubborn, determined, strong. And so, so good and selfless.” She looked up at Sam through her tears. 

“That’s not all Winchester,” he replied softly, reaching out to stroke her hair. “You’ve done an amazing job, Mel.” She sniffled. “And you! Bobby told me some stuff of what you’ve been doing… of course I thought he might be exaggerating but I can see it was way, way more than even what he told me.” 

“Bobby? Is that who you’ve been… wait, does _Bobby_ know about her?” 

“Grandpa Bobby, he is to her. Came to visit a few times.” 

Sam sat back, bristling. 

“I’m sorry, Sam. I don’t think I’ll ever stop feeling shitty about not calling you. Everyone I talked to right after she was born said Dean was dead and that you were super self-destructive.” 

“Yeah, that’s putting it mildly. No, you were right Mel. It wouldn’t have been good for her. Dean _was_ dead. And I was trying to get him back, no matter what it took. And then I got him back, but I had the Devil on my ass. Literally. It’s only been since Gabriel got me out of Hell…” 

“What, seriously? He said something but I thought it was an exaggeration.” 

Sam closed his eyes and nodded. “Saved me from the devil, put my soul back together, we’ve been trying to put the world back together since. Now, with Michael in the cage with Lucifer, and so many of the top brass dead, I guess Heaven is a freaking mess. And they want him back. And they can’t have him.” Sam clenched his jaw. 

“What can you do?” 

“I don’t know yet. We’ll figure it out when we get back home. You should try to get some rest now.” He patted her knee as he stood up and walked out of the room. Melanie curled up next to Charlotte and was soon asleep. 

Dean and Castiel had already retired to the other bedroom, leaving Sam to stretch out on the lumpy sofa, his head pillowed in Gabriel’s lap and his feet hanging off the end. 

“What are we going to do, Gabriel?” Sam echoed. 

“Shhhh,” Gabriel murmured, stroking his hair. “Trickster’s not out of tricks yet. I’ll deal with them.” He waved his hand and covered Sam in a warm blanket, much plusher than the motel offerings, and tucked it in snugly around his feet just how he liked. Sam burrowed close and let himself feel safe, wishing he could give Gabriel the same feeling. 

The next morning, Sam woke up to find a little face inches from his. Fine blonde hair, sticky with chocolate, danced across his nose as he breathed. “Mmph,” he mumbled. Charlotte giggled. 

“You should wake up and talk to me,” she said. 

“Sure,” Sam agreed. “Jus’ lemme wake up first.” 

“Gabe is already awake,” she pointed out helpfully. 

“Gabe doesn’t have to sleep,” Gabriel said. “It’s one of the perks of being an angel.” 

Charlotte stared at him, wide-eyed. “So if I be an angel all the time, I won’t have to go to bed anymore?” 

“Well, technically, but… you can’t be.” Charlotte’s face fell a little. 

“You’re a human, Charlotte. Being an angel is something… you’re created, to begin with. Does Mommy talk about you being an angel, like, behaving really well? That’s something different. Real angels are seldom very well behaved.” Sam sat up, rubbing his face. “Ugh, what time is it?” 

“Time for the sunshine,” answered Charlotte. “I want breakfast. And to play.” 

Gabriel stood up, stretching. “Take your time, Sam. I got this.” He wandered over to the kitchenette with the child, conjuring up her breakfast request – pancakes with M&Ms – and a coloring book and crayons. They sat side by side, eating pancakes and coloring pictures. Sam watched them. Gabriel was coloring far outside of the lines and telling her another story. Charlotte was entranced. “Now, your Daddy, he was not very pleased with me, sticking him in those TV shows like that. But he was clever – you know he’s super smart, right? – and he figured me out and boy was the joke on me when he managed to trap me.” 

Sam quirked an eyebrow, but decided not to chime in. He got up and made his way to the bathroom. 

“I’m glad you both learned how to play nice,” Charlotte was saying. She climbed into Gabriel’s lap and wrapped her arms around his neck in a fierce hug. 

“Me, too,” Gabriel said softly. 

There was a sound of breaking glass from the parking lot. Melanie came running into the room, clad in sleep shorts and a tank top. Dean and Castiel emerged from their bedroom seconds later, Castiel perfectly attired, Dean still pulling on yesterday’s clothes. 

Gabriel was at the window peering outside. “Demons,” he muttered. 

“How many?” said Dean. 

“Why?” wondered Sam. 

“Too many,” Gabriel answered. “Two dozen at least.” He glanced to Castiel. “No idea why. Doubt if it’s worth trying to parlay.” 

“You can’t smite that many without leveling the block, Brother,” Castiel sighed. 

“Not in one go, no.” 

“I’ll go out and talk to them,” said Sam. 

“No!” Gabriel shouted. 

“Gabe, I’ll be fine-“ 

“Sammy, really dumb idea-“ Dean added. 

“Maybe we should just-“ Castiel tried pitching in. 

There was a knock on the door. 

“Oh come on boys, make a decision and _one_ of you come out here, at least,” came Crowley’s voice. 

“Just tell us what you want, Crowley,” Dean growled, stepping close to the door. 

“Oh, can’t I come in and talk? This is so uncivilized,” he griped. 

“No can do. Talk, asshole.” 

“Fine. Look, I’m trying to help you out here. There is a certain faction of demons, not under my watch, who are looking for the child to use as a vessel for Apocalypse II, Electric Boogaloo. Naturally, that is not something that I desire. I certainly don’t want the boss out and messing up what I have going on here.” 

“What kind of help are you proposing?” Dean asked, dripping with skepticism. 

“Keeping them from getting to her, obviously. Congratulations Sam, by the way. I’m sure she’s the apple of your eye.” Sam scowled at the door and said nothing. 

“Okay, this is getting ridiculous,” said Gabriel. He stalked over to where Melanie and Charlotte were huddled by the far wall. “Hold onto me and click your heels together three times,” he said, snapping his fingers. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mel and Lottie explore, we find out the aftermath of the demon attack, and there's a little schmoopiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's my belief that Dean put together a cozy lounge with air hockey and TV, and you can't tell me otherwise.

Melanie looked around. They were standing the middle of a spacious building. There was a metal staircase to the left, with a balcony above it, and a large map table in front of her. Tall windows let in the early morning sun. “Where are we?” Melanie gasped. She realized that she still had her arm around Gabriel’s waist, having taken him quite literally when he told her to hold onto him, and she pulled away, heat rushing to her face. 

“The Men of Letters bunker. Home. Sam and Dean have the secret decoder ring in their DNA or something. Which, I suppose, makes you a Pipsqueak of Letters,” he added as an afterthought, ruffling Charlotte’s hair. “Look, I need to go but you’ll be perfectly safe here. No one can get in-“ 

“You just did,” Melanie argued. “And you’re just going to poof out of here and leave me to die in my ugliest pajamas?” 

“I did a lot of work putting my exceptions in that code, you’re not going to die, and you look really hot, actually. Just pray to me or Cas if you need us.” 

“Pray?” she spluttered, caught off guard. “How does _that_ work?” 

“Exactly how you think it doesn’t work.” He snapped his fingers and was gone. 

“Dammit!” Melanie shouted, kicking a chair. “Ow. Dammit. I don’t even have any shoes.” 

“Mommy… is Gabe magic?” 

“Yeah, I guess you could say that. Look, this is all kinda new to me too, Lottie. I guess we just got… teleported?” 

“Whoa,” Charlotte said. She had started to wander around the room exploring, and Melanie followed her closely, afraid of what might lurk around this place, between paranormal dangers and the Winchester brothers’ arsenal. They spent several hours walking around the bunker this way, finding storage rooms and bedrooms and the kitchen. As the day dragged on, 

Melanie and Charlotte returned to the kitchen and made sandwiches. After eating, they wandered another corridor and found a room that contained an air hockey table, a couch and recliners, and a TV. 

“Yay!” Charlotte cheered. “See if it has cartoons.” 

They spent several hours in front of the television. Melanie was reading a book about werewolves, randomly grabbed from a shelf, while Charlotte eventually dozed in front of the TV. After naptime, they went back to the kitchen and Melanie raided the fridge and pantry, and, finding suitable supplies to do so, made a huge stir-fry and rice. Charlotte stood on a box and washed dishes with her mother, rinsing and placing the items on a dishtowel. They kept up this momentum, scrubbing the kitchen counters and mopping the floors as well. It was something to do, something useful and distracting. 

The sun had faded from the windows when they returned to the lounge room. They flipped on another cartoon – a part of Melanie wanted to protest at the amount of cartoon watching, but in the circumstances she knew that keeping the kid’s mind off the decidedly weird turn their lives had taken was for the best. Charlotte eventually drifted off to sleep on the couch again. Several hours later, Melanie was starting to nod off as well when she heard a noise out in the main area of the bunker. She grabbed a sword off the wall and crept down the corridor slowly. She hoped it was the Winchesters and their angelic companions returning, but decided to play it safe. 

She slunk into the main room slowly, sword held at the ready, but it was Castiel she saw standing in the middle of the room. She breathed out a sigh of relief. “It’s just you. Is everyone okay? What happened?” 

“Everyone is alright now. Crowley became very angry when he found out that Charlotte was no longer in the motel room. We think he wanted her – not to protect her or help us, but that his intent was to take her. He put up a big fight – well, he got his demons to do it for him. Dean was badly injured. I was able to repair it, of course, but it did hamper our efforts.” 

“Aw come on Cas, it was only one little stab wound. I could have been useful if you’d let me back out there.” 

“Dean, do you want to know how much blood I removed from your right lung?” said the angel irritably. Castiel’s face was tired and lined with worry. 

“Actually, no, I don’t. Shit, man, do you actually count?” 

“Yes!” Castiel shouted in exasperation. Dean’s eyes met his for a long moment of apology and reassurance. 

“You and the kid doing okay?” Dean asked, turning to Melanie at last. “I see you found my sword.” 

“I thought it better safe than sorry,” Melanie said apologetically. 

“Good girl,” said Dean appreciatively, clapping her on the shoulder. 

“But yeah, we’re okay. We found the kitchen. Found the TV. I kept her from touching anything that looked like she shouldn’t touch it. She’s not really been talking about anything that happened just yet.” 

Dean frowned. “She talking at all?” 

“Oh yeah, just not about her mother stabbing angels, or her suddenly reappearing Winchester family, or being uprooted from her home, or getting hunted by demons and then freaking teleported.” 

Sam came bounding down the stairs, dropping his bags on the floor, as well as Charlotte’s backpack. “Mel! How are you guys?” he exclaimed. 

“We’re fine. Lottie’s sleeping.” 

Gabriel came down the stairs more sedately, bearing the cat carrier. Pumpkin looked out the grate piteously. Gabriel released the cat, to Dean’s dismay and Castiel’s delight. Pumpkin immediately began exploring the bunker. 

“There’s leftover stir-fry in the fridge,” she informed them with a smile. “You all look hungry.” 

“Famished,” said Sam. 

“Angels don’t require food,” Castiel said mildly. 

“Speak for yourself, Cas,” said Gabriel, following Sam toward the kitchen. 

The guys divided up the leftovers and sat down to eat. Dean made appreciative noises over his and gave Melanie a thumbs up. Castiel declined, but sat near Dean and begrudgingly accepted the forkful of food Dean insisted that he try. Gabriel picked around his plate in apparent confusion, subtly transferring the onions, water chestnuts, and broccoli pieces to Sam’s plate. Everyone was pretty quiet, focused on eating and lost in thought. 

After dinner, Sam found an empty bedroom for Melanie and Charlotte. He helped carry their things in, then scooped up the sleeping child and carried her to bed. She stirred slightly when he lifted her, and wrapped her arms around his neck, but settled into the bed when he set her down. Sam tucked the covers around her and sat on the edge of the bed, watching her as her breathing settled. 

“They’re irresistible when they’re sleeping, aren’t they?” Gabriel said quietly from the doorway. “I still remember Hel at that age.” 

“I missed out on so much,” Sam sighed. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“I know. You’ve said. And eventually, I suppose, I’ll accept that. Have you even been checking on them?” 

Gabriel hung his head. “Not for a few years now. I let myself get confident that they had a normal, happy life and I didn’t need to.” 

Sam snorted and leveled an unamused glare at Gabriel. 

“And it hurt, okay? Something about lurking invisible in Melanie’s living room and watching them be happy and sweet and… I don’t know, something about that hurt. And then you and I had each other, and I didn’t want to lose you to them.” 

“You thought I’d leave you for her?” Sam said, surprised. 

“For the sake of the child if nothing else. I mean, I guess I thought Mel was hotter than me, and you might prefer her… but I figured for sure, you’d leave me to have a normal family.” 

“Hey. Hey, no, no,” said Sam soothingly, standing and approaching him. “Gabriel, no. You and I… we’re in this together. Always.” He rubbed a thumb along Gabriel’s lip, then leaned down to kiss him gently. Gabriel clutched at Sam’s shirt front, drawing him closer. 

“I know. Now, I know that.” 

“And you?” 

Gabriel frowned in confusion. “Me what?” 

“You wouldn’t leave me for Mel?” 

Gabriel scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Please, Sam.” 

“Because it seems to me that you had a thing for her, too,” Sam continued. Gabriel looked away uncomfortably. “I mean, you just said that you think she’s hotter than you. Maybe she’s hotter than me, too.” 

Gabriel shrugged. “What can I say, you’re both hot. I don’t think there’s a competition. You’re both hot, but you, Sam Winchester, happen to be my beloved human who loves me and puts up with me, and saved me even as I was saving you, and whom I would never, ever forsake.” He caught Sam’s hands in his own and studied them carefully, reverently, his eyes glowing golden in the light reflected from the hallway. Sam drew a shaky breath as tears gathered in the corners of his eyes. Gabriel looked up into Sam’s eyes and smiled. At last they wandered out of the room and to their own room down the hall. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chat over popcorn, Cas bonds with the cat, some more disturbing details emerge, but comfort happens so maybe it's not as bad as it could be. Also we find out that Gabriel did WHAT WE ALL WANT TO DO.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe tw for panic attacks?

Melanie had found popcorn in the kitchen cabinet and made a large pot of it, and found herself sharing it with Dean in the lounge. He had put on a wrestling match and was watching it intently. Castiel sat in a chair to his left, petting the fuzzy orange cat in his lap. Pumpkin looked ecstatic at the affection from the angel. Melanie glanced at them, wondering if angels were particularly good at petting cats. She’d barely gotten an acknowledgement from her beloved fuzzball since he’d arrived. 

Dean and Mel quietly shared the popcorn bowl for a while. She was not the least bit interested in wrestling but she pretended to pay attention. Eventually Dean turned to her and said, “So… did Gabriel fill you in on what Charlotte told us?” 

“Yeah,” said Melanie. “He thinks the angels did something to her, but he doesn’t know what.” 

Dean scowled. “If he doesn’t know, it must be some pretty deep shit.” 

“Is he really like… the Biblical stories, all that jazz… really that Gabriel?” 

“Basically,” said Dean. “Throw in an escape from Heaven and a stint as the pagan god Loki, for shits and giggles.” 

“Well that is just… actually, that explains… I don’t even know anymore.” Melanie tucked her feet under her and settled farther back into the comfy sofa. “And Castiel?” 

“Oh, I’m just an angel,” he said. “No one very famous. I’m very old, just not as old as Gabriel. Though, I’ve been involved in Heaven far more recently than he has.” Castiel decided not to mention that his most recent involvement in Heaven had been very nearly engaging in a coup, before Gabriel convinced him, forcefully, that that was a terrible idea and that there were much better things he could be doing with his time. It had only taken two weeks trapped in that honeymoon suite with Dean before he figured out what Gabriel was getting at. 

Melanie nodded. “So actually, you might be the one to better fathom what they would want with my kid.” Castiel’s brow furrowed in concentration, and Melanie noticed the way Dean watched him in adoration. God, these two were ridiculously in love. 

“If there was anything at all that I could think of, I would tell you immediately so that we might begin to remedy it,” Castiel said apologetically. 

“Well Cas, did you know that Naomi chick? What do you think her real deal is?” Dean leaned forward. 

“I…” Castiel shrugged uncomfortably. “I must know her in passing, there is a hint of familiarity, but…” he had begun to tremble and sweat, and Pumpkin jumped off his lap suddenly, scampering out of the room. 

“It’s because they’ve blocked you from knowing, Cassie,” came Gabriel’s voice from the doorway. They all looked at the archangel as he sauntered in and sat on the couch between Mel and Dean, settling the popcorn bowl on his own lap. “You don’t know what Naomi is because of what she did to you, but I remember her duties well.” 

“What she did to Cas?” Dean asked, his voice dangerous. 

“Over the millennia, a few times, she’s, mmm, made him forget things. Covering secrets whenever the ranks are sent on missions. Tidies your little minds up when you get home so you’ll never know what you did, can’t ever rat them out to enemies,” Gabriel said bitterly. 

Castiel gasped, his hands locking onto the arms of the chair, fingernails digging in. His eyes were wide and wild with desperate panic. Dean was by his side in a second, a soothing hand around the angel’s shoulders. 

“That’s not the worst of it,” continued Gabriel, though a flash of pity went across his features. “She’s been trying to nab you again. She can’t, not without me noticing anyway. I felt a tug on you and I headed it off. I think I can probably continue to do so. You should be wary, though. If you feel suddenly confused, if you lose a second here and there…” 

“She wants to steal more of my memories?” Castiel rasped uneasily. 

“She wants to make you do things, and _then_ steal the memories of the things she just made you do.” 

Dean leaned heavily upon his angel’s shoulders, as if to pin him down from heavenly abduction. “Those _dicks_ ,” he roared. 

“Relax, Dean-o. I’m pretty confident that they can’t get to any of you in here. Gives us time to figure it all out.” Gabriel stuffed a handful of popcorn, which was now sugary caramel corn, into his mouth. “Of course, pin him down if that works for you kids; don’t let me ruin your night.” He waggled his eyebrows at the pair, who were still reeling from the shock of the news and ignored the gesture. Castiel sat in stunned silence, studying his hands, and Dean had a murderous glint in his eyes. 

“Gabriel,” said Castiel at last. “Do you know what I have done?” 

Gabriel eyed Castiel sadly. “Don’t take yourself down that road, Brother. Not tonight, anyway.” Castiel nodded and leaned against Dean’s shoulder. 

“So… she wants Castiel, and you, and Charlotte… I don’t get it,” Melanie frowned. 

“It would make sense if she was just gathering angels… and, as she said, I am the last archangel around,” mused Gabriel, stretching out and propping his feet on the coffee table, trying not to think of his two brothers he’d left imprisoned in the cage in hell, and Raphael, whom he’d had to kill to keep him from letting the other two back out and destroying humanity. If only Raph had been content to stay where he belonged and rule Heaven, none of this would be happening, Gabriel was fairly certain. “Or maybe she’s trying to get Cas to nab the kid for her, I don’t know. This whole plan to grab the kid though, I can’t make sense out of that. Why wouldn’t they just grab me if I’m all they wanted? And what they were doing to her in the woods. Dammit! I can almost feel what’s wrong with her, but I just can’t quite…” 

Melanie started trembling, suddenly overcome with the horror of realizing that malicious beings had been doing something to her daughter. She quickly thrust the popcorn bowl into Gabriel’s hands and ran to the nearest bathroom to throw up. She was leaning over the toilet choking and sobbing when Gabriel dropped to the floor beside her. “Hey, easy there, kiddo,” he murmured, smoothing a hand across her back. She gripped the porcelain and vomited again, Gabriel stroking her back the whole time. When she sat back down, he held out a cold wet washcloth and a glass of water. 

“I know it sucks,” he said soothingly. “You can only hold it together so long; you have to let it out sometime.” Melanie slumped against him and let him wrap her in a tender hug. She cried against his chest, soaking the soft cotton of his t-shirt with tears. He just stroked her hair and hummed a peaceful melody, something haunting and ancient. After a while, her tears subsided, but the pair remained on the bathroom floor, Melanie cuddled against Gabriel’s chest, his chin resting on her head. She drifted off to sleep, and when she woke up in the middle of the night, she was tucked comfortably in her bed, all traces of post-cry headache and post-vomit gross mouth strangely absent. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danger is in store for at least one member of Team Free Will this morning, Castiel has a bad idea, and Winchester tantrums are not for the faint of heart, but at least Gabriel finally asks the right question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm probably too tired to be uploading this but hey, I like to live dangerously.

The day began with Dean cooking breakfast, clearly showing off his skills with custom omelets for all and a huge batch of perfectly seasoned fried potatoes. He looked a little disappointed when Charlotte requested plain scrambled eggs, but he fulfilled her order perfectly, then watched her drown them in ketchup. She took advantage of Melanie’s absence from the kitchen, as she was enjoying the fabulous bunker shower room, to use entirely more ketchup than her mother would have allowed. “You just… make sure you eat up, yeah? Get strong!” Dean ordered. She nodded in agreement, dribbling ketchup and butter down her chin. 

“I have to be strong for later,” she agreed. The adults looked around at each other nervously. 

“What’s going on later?” Sam asked casually. 

“Oh Daddy, you should know this,” she answered. 

Castiel shifted uneasily. “Perhaps at this point… I hate to do it, but it seems neglectful not to at least try…” He trailed off and looked away at the wall, uncomfortable. 

“Spit it out, Angel,” Dean demanded. 

“We should examine her soul.” 

“No,” Sam said forcefully. “Not. A. Chance.” 

Gabriel was staring at his brother in shock, a forkful of food paused halfway to his mouth. “Castiel, you crazy bastard,” he finally exclaimed. 

Dean shrugged. “Yeah, I think we’re gonna table that one and hit the books instead.” 

“You’re gonna table that one for the rest of your life,” Sam growled. Dean just walked away and began piling dirty dishes into the sink. 

“I don’t _want_ to do it,” Castiel was protesting. “But if it’s possible that they took or altered…” 

“They didn’t,” Gabriel replied. “Give me at least some credit for being smarter than you, little brother.” 

Immediately after breakfast, research began in earnest. Sam spent some time acquainting Melanie with the system of organization that he’d found present in the archives, and the ways he’d changed it. 

“This is such a total throwback!” she exclaimed eagerly, stroking a row of books. “Holy crap, Sam. You’re so lucky.” She climbed the stepladder to examine the top row of books, her floral skirt fluttering against her legs as she ascended. 

Sam grinned and looked around proudly. “Yeah.” 

“Nerds,” Dean muttered. He was sitting at the table with his laptop in front of him, reading various newspaper websites. He was hoping to turn up some random weirdness that would maybe, just maybe, tie in to this heavenly dilemma, since there was so little to go on. 

“Anyway,” Sam continued, pointedly ignoring Dean. “I think if we look over here… maybe we can cross-reference and see if there’s anything about angels and humans. Things they might want with them. I’ll check within these numbers in the books.” 

Castiel had, though he was not sure how, found himself playing dolls with Charlotte. They were seated on the floor next to an upturned cardboard box that was serving as a dollhouse. He had been given two small figures with posable bodies and yarn hair. “That’s the Mommy and that’s the little boy. You be them. I be the Daddy and the little girl,” she explained. She waved the little girl figure at the Mommy in Castiel’s left hand. “Mommy, take me to the park,” she demanded in a sing-song voice. Castiel looked alarmed. 

“I, uh, I don’t think…” he hedged in his ordinary Castiel voice. 

“You’re s’posed to say yes. Mommies like to go to the park because they can sit quietly for a few goddamn minutes while we play,” Charlotte explained patiently. Gabriel chortled loudly from across the room, while Melanie’s eyes widened in her shocked face. Sam caught her eye, looking rather guilty. 

“Hey, you don’t have to do this alone anymore,” he said softly. “I can’t imagine how hard it’s been.” 

“I can’t imagine how hard saving the goddamn world has been,” Melanie answered with a smile. 

“Let’s do it all together then.” 

“Deal.” She raised her hand to high five him, and he looked confused for a moment but then clapped his hand against hers, grinning. Neither of them noticed Gabriel’s contemplative golden eyes studying their interaction. 

Charlotte continued to attempt to teach Castiel to play dolls, explaining each step carefully, though her patience was eroding at how slow of a learner Castiel apparently was. At last, the angel stood up. “I’m sorry, Charlotte, I don’t think I can continue to help you with this. Perhaps we can choose a board game?” 

The child scrambled to her feet with a sudden shriek, long blonde hair flying furiously. “Board games are STUPID. I want dolls; I want you to play dolls with me!” She attempted a kick at the angel’s shins, but he ducked backward just in time. Melanie sighed and started across the room toward her daughter, to save poor Castiel from the tantrum. 

“Play with me or else!” Charlotte was shrieking. Dean smirked at Sam, recognizing his little brother’s attitude of years past in the kid, and slightly pleased that Sam would get a taste of his own medicine, finally. Gabriel was very absorbed in his book. He suspected that any attempts to distract with candy or puppies would not go over well, and that was the extent of his ideas at the moment. 

Castiel cocked his head. “Or else what?” he asked in confusion. Charlotte glared at him 

Charlotte lifted her hand, palm faced outward toward Castiel, her tiny face screwed up in concentration. Castiel’s left shoulder suddenly was glowing with a spot of white light, and he gasped in pain and bent over, clutching his shoulder, blood seeping through his sleeve. 

In an instant, the room was in an uproar. Melanie and Sam both ran to Charlotte, Sam grabbing her first, lifting her roughly into his arms and hugging her tightly against him as she burst into frightened tears. Dean knocked his chair over and lunged for Castiel, gathering the angel into his arms, stripping his coat off and ripping his shirt sleeve to get at the wound. Gabriel was at his brother’s side as well, pressing a hand onto the hole in Castiel’s shoulder, sealing off the wounded flesh and the leaking grace. 

“What. The. _Fuck._ ” Dean growled over his shoulder at Sam. “What _is_ she?” 

“Lottie, how did you do that?” asked Melanie, touching the girl’s face, trying to hold back her own hysterical tears. 

“My friends were teaching me. I didn’t mean to hurt him!” she snuffled out between gasping sobs. She looked regretfully at Castiel, now standing and pulling his torn shirt back on with Dean’s help. He looked weak and tired from the drain on his grace. 

Gabriel strode over to Charlotte, his face calm. “What did they give you to drink, Pipsqueak, when they came to see you in the woods?” 

“Bl-blood. From their arms.” She buried her face in Sam’s neck. Sam had gone pale and trembly, his knees starting to buckle, and Gabriel quietly wrapped his grace around him and the child, holding them up. 

“Angel blood?” said Dean. “Is that what’s going on here? So, drinking angel blood… what, makes her able to smite… angels? Or anyone?” 

“Angels, it would have to be. That was an attack to his grace, not his vessel. Wouldn’t have done a thing to a human,” Gabriel said quietly. “But why turn a little girl into a blood-drinking weapon?” 

“Because they heard about me?” Sam hazarded a guess, squeezing the child tighter. “I am so sorry, honey.” 

“Can you do something?” asked Melanie, her voice catching 

“We’ll fix this,” Gabriel promised. 

“How?” she demanded. 

“I’m going to go get answers,” he replied, and with a snap of his fingers Gabriel was gone. 


	10. Chapter 10

A tense quiet fell over the room. Dean helped Castiel to a chair and stood next to him, hand on his uninjured shoulder. Melanie scooped her daughter out of Sam’s arms, desperate for the reassurance of how tiny and perfectly ordinary the child felt in her arms. Melanie watched Castiel nervously, but he seemed to be okay, perhaps even a little annoyed with his boyfriend’s overly concerned ministrations. Then she noticed the determined, grim set of Dean’s mouth. 

“Sammy, we gotta lock her down. I don’t like it, but we gotta. We need to be prepared for whatever-” 

“You are not locking my daughter in the dungeon,” Sam replied firmly. “And there is definitely no whatever.” Melanie decided against waiting for the outcome of a Winchester brothers showdown and hustled out of the room and down the corridor to the bedroom. Dean started to go after them, but Sam blocked, with a mighty shove to Dean’s shoulder, leaving Dean sprawling against the table. 

“Even if she’s gonna take out Cas? Gabe? Sam, we have to be prepared,” Dean spit out heatedly, lunging back at Sam, attempting to back him into the wall. Sam twisted and they both hit the wall, Dean’s shoulder taking most of the impact. Sam took advantage of that to grab Dean’s other shoulder and shove him flat against the wall, but Dean recovered and pushed him away. The pair of them stood a few feet apart, seething at each other. 

“She’s not going to, Dean,” Sam scoffed. “You saw how it affected her. She was not expecting to actually hurt him, and she was horrified that she did.” 

“Kids, they don’t have no control over shit like that,” Dean answered. “Soon as one of them pisses her off again, she’s gonna let loose.” 

“Well maybe they can just not piss her off!” 

“You ever tried not pissing off a four year old? Good luck, little brother,” Dean grimaced. “I still got bruises on my shins from you.” 

“Well you were a jerk!” Sam retorted. 

“And you’re still a bitch!” Dean answered. 

Castiel stood up. “Dean, I’m not worried. It was a minor wound at best, certainly nothing worthy of attacking a child over. I don’t believe they completed their alterations upon her as she was not all that powerful. It seems likely that it will fade in time, even if we do nothing. That or it will naturally kill her. And I’m sure Gabriel will-“ 

“I’m not risking you, definitely not on the hope that that goddamn Trickster-with-wings will come through-“ 

“Watch it!” Sam growled, his arms up and ready to shove Dean again, and Dean poised to do the same, but Castiel was quicker and moved to stand between them. The brothers backed off, unwilling to involve the angel in their crossfire. 

“I’ll take my chances!” Castiel exclaimed. “My decision, Dean, not yours. I have far more confidence in my brother than you do, apparently.” 

Sam tore himself away and stormed down the hallway. He came to the bedroom where Charlotte and Melanie had been settled last night and turned the doorknob, slowly pushing it open. “Hey, how’s-“ he began, but was surprised to find an angel blade pointed at his chest. “Whoa! Easy, Mel-“ 

“What do you want?” she spit out, her eyes wild. 

“Nothing! I just wanted to check on you. You don’t think I’d… that I’d want to…?” 

Melanie relaxed the weapon slightly and backed up. “Where’s Dean?” 

“Dean had better keep his distance,” Sam answered darkly. He stepped in and shut the door behind him. There was a scatter of toys around the room, but Charlotte was asleep on the bed, looking tiny and fragile on the expanse of the adult-sized bed. 

“I talked to her,” Melanie said, sitting at the end of the bed. “I think she understands now, that it’s real. She thought that those angel creeps were playing some kind of game with her. And, Sam… I’ve seen her do that thing before, with her hand. At me, when she was mad. She thought it was pretend because it never hurt me.” 

“This is all my fault,” he said miserably, sinking to sit cross-legged on the floor near her feet. “Even never meeting her, I had already ruined her life.” 

“Why would they specifically target your daughter, Sam?” 

“The demon blood… I need to explain.” He laid his head on Melanie’s knee and told her the story of his curse in infancy, being hunted by the demon, and later his entanglement with Ruby. Melanie stroked his hair soothingly. 

“I’m so sorry Sam,” she murmured. “But you know this is not your fault, right?” He snorted. Melanie sighed and continued stroking his hair. “Sam, you’re so good, so selfless… you can’t help how you started out, and you’ve done so much good for everyone, and that’s just the little bit that I even know about. You really can’t beat yourself up for your mistakes. All the good things that make up Sam Winchester more than make up for them.” 

“That’s what I keep trying to tell him,” came an exasperated voice from behind them. Gabriel was standing on the other side of the bed, disheveled and covered in blood. Sam scrambled over to him and hugged him close. “Relax kiddo, not my blood,” he said lightly. 

“I was so worried,” Sam exhaled, as if he’d been holding his breath all that time. 

“Oh, I know, I felt it,” Gabriel said cheerily, touching Sam lightly on the nose and earning himself an irritated scowl. “Though… it might interest you to know that I got our answers.” There was a dark sadness in his eyes. Something wordless passed between them, and Sam kept his arm around the archangel’s shoulders as he turned to address Melanie. “There is a way to clear it from her. Kind of a one-step detox. She’ll be fine if we can do that. And Naomi… well, she’s going to have a hard time getting anywhere in that pecking order now, especially without the child-weapon and archangel-on-a-leash she’d been hoping for.” 

“But she’ll try again,” said Melanie glumly. “She doesn’t seem like the type to quit. And she’s probably even more pissed now.” 

“Wellll… she’s going to be a bit indisposed for a while, and she may rethink anything involving anyone that I care about. She’s at the prom.” Melanie and Sam gave Gabriel identical perplexed stares. Gabriel sighed and rolled his eyes. “She and her top minions are currently trapped up to their necks in a tank of pig blood. Fully warded. They’re not getting out of it unless someone happens to find them and break the wards.” He looked extremely pleased with himself. Sam and Melanie looked at each other, Melanie raising an eyebrow. Sam shrugged his shoulders slightly. 

“Anyway. For now let’s focus on healing the Pipsqueak. Actually, first things first, let me get a shower. Ugh.” Gabriel walked toward the door, giving Sam’s hand a subtle tug, and Sam followed. Melanie felt a pang watching them go out the door together. She thought about the feel of Sam’s head upon her knee and her fingers in his hair, and how her heart ached to take away his pain. Then she found her mind drifting to last night, Gabriel holding her on the bathroom floor, the warmth of his chest and the gentle song he sang. She sat on the foot of the bed, twirling the angel blade idly in her hands and thinking about the two of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't say I've written much in the way of physical fights, so I hope this came across well! Ahhh these Winchesters, always pushing my comfort zone.


	11. Chapter 11

After escorting Gabriel to the shower and indulging in an entirely too brief makeout session, Sam went to find Dean and Castiel and fill them in on the latest developments. He gave them the scroll, a roll of old parchment written in Enochian, that Gabriel had produced from his jacket pocket. Castiel frowned and nodded and set to work gathering supplies. Dean was quiet, and Sam suspected that he regretted his outburst. Sam wondered if Castiel had talked some sense into him or if he’d reached his own conclusions. 

Several hours later, the bunker occupants were all gathered in the infirmary. Gabriel stood at the counter, mixing things in a glass beaker. Chocolate syrup appeared to be one of the ingredients to the spell. Sam also spotted a small jar of dirt and an ancient pottery jug, as well as numerous paper packets of herbs. 

“What’s in it?” he hissed into the archangel’s ear. 

“Best not to ask, Samshine,” Gabriel replied, turning to capture his lips in a quick kiss. 

Melanie sat on the exam table, Charlotte on her lap. Both radiated nervousness. Melanie was twisting a lock of her hair into snarls, Charlotte just fidgeted and occasionally whined… were those words, Sam wondered? They didn’t seem to be but Melanie was carrying on the other end of the conversation somehow. He started to wonder how out of his depth he was with this whole parenting thing. Angelic blood curses were one thing, but unintelligible whiny language was not something he thought he could handle. 

“Alrighty kiddo. Almost done with your chocolate stuff,” Gabriel said. 

“I want a straw,” she demanded. She chewed on a strand of her hair. 

“No problem.” Gabriel popped a twisty straw in the beverage, then produced a bandana from his pocket. “Now Sam, Dean, Mel, I think you know the drill about shutting eyes, yes? But to be sure, Miss Charlotte is going to wear my super awesome pirate accessory badass bandana of coolness, alright?” Gabriel stepped toward the child and tied the bandana snugly over her eyes before she had time to protest. “Now, absolutely no peeking, or I will definitely not make you the world’s most enormous ice cream sundae with an entire birthday cake underneath it later on, okay?” Charlotte frowned, but nodded. 

Sam stepped behind Melanie. She had both arms snuggled around Charlotte, so Sam wrapped one huge hand across Melanie’s eyes and the other across his own. Dean shielded himself, and Castiel stood by the doorway waiting. 

“I’m going to hand you your drink, and then you wait a few seconds and then start drinking it,” Gabriel said to Charlotte. He placed the beaker in her hands and darted out the door, shoving Castiel in front of him. The two angels sprinted to the other end of the bunker to wait. Gabriel was uncertain whether the spell would go out with a bang or a whimper, but on the off chance that it released a burst of angel-smiting power, he and Cas had agreed to stay out of the room. 

Charlotte sipped the drink. “This is the yuckiest chocolate milk ever,” she whined. 

“I know but it’ll help you feel better,” Melanie said soothingly. 

“Can’t be worse than your father’s hippie smoothies,” Dean said. 

“Am I sick?” she asked. Charlotte had been told as little as possible about the situation, and Melanie was beginning to wonder if that was the right decision. 

“Just a little,” Melanie replied. “But we need you to get better before it gets worse. Drink up. Gabe makes good medicine.” Charlotte sniffled and sipped at the drink some more. 

Dean, from his position against the wall behind them, began to sing “Hey Jude” softly. Charlotte relaxed a little and soon had downed the whole drink. They all waited, only Dean’s song filling the silence. Suddenly Charlotte arched back against her mother and let out a long scream. The beaker hit the tile floor with a crash. “It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay,” Melanie was murmuring over and over again. Dean kept singing, his voice low and deep. They could all feel the electric crackle of holy light around them. At last, the scream died down and the child stilled limply against Melanie. Her cheek was pressed against Melanie’s breast and Melanie could feel wetness soaking through her shirt. 

“Sam,” Melanie said weakly. He moved his arms and they could see again. Charlotte’s tiny body was completely still and blood poured out of her mouth. “Gabriel! Gabriel, please come back,” Melanie whispered, hoping that would fulfil the requirements for prayer, since she could not seem to draw a full breath to speak normally. He appeared before her instantly, scooping the girl into his arms. 

“Shhh, there, there,” he murmured, pressing his lips to her forehead. Charlotte gasped a breath and whimpered, clinging to his neck. “She’ll be fine,” he assured everyone. He didn’t mention that she had had no heartbeat when he picked her up, though it was such a small thing to restart it when scarcely seconds had gone by. He hoped that whatever reaper trailed the Winchesters had long ago thrown in the towel and snuck off to a nice beach somewhere. 

“She’s a Winchester. We don’t give up easy,” Dean said, clapping a hand on Sam’s shoulder. “Ain’t that right, Sammy?” Sam met his brother’s eyes. _See, it’s all good_ , they said. 

“Yeah. Yeah, we’re tough.” Sam answered. His expression was wary and guarded. “Hey Mel, let’s get this Pipsqueak cleaned up and back to normal, shall we?” 

“Allow me,” replied Castiel, waving his hand over the child, removing the blood from her hair and clothes. He brushed a fingertip across her cheek. “Let her rest.” 

“I’ll go put her down,” Gabriel offered, carrying her to the bedroom, tailed by Sam and Melanie. 

Dean watched them go, busying his hands with cleaning the mess on the counter, then sweeping up the broken glass. Castiel tucked away the medical supplies that lingered on the counter and wiped down the cot. 

“What are you thinking, Dean?” Castiel said at last. 

Dean shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. It’s over and everyone’s okay.” 

“I fear Sam may not trust you again for some time.” 

“Do you think I was wrong?” 

“Yes,” Castiel answered bluntly. 

“Cas, we didn’t know what she was. If she was a monster – not curable – what would you have had me do?” 

“The rest of us knew that she was not anything of the sort. You were overreacting.” 

“Overreacting? Jesus, Cas, when I saw her take you down like that-“ 

“It was not that bad! She stopped the moment she realized that she had actually injured me. Dean…” Castiel reached hands out to him, slim fingers curling at his waistband. Dean inhaled shakily and pulled the angel close for a kiss. They didn’t speak anymore, and Castiel absently waved a hand behind him, closing and locking the infirmary door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's gonna be slower going from here. That was the end of prewritten chapters getting tweaked and posted, as this is about where I'm at. Don't give up on me! :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little sappy in the kitchen, then tense, then apologies and a lot of cake.

Charlotte did not sleep for long. No sooner did Gabriel lay her down on the bed than she was bouncing back up. “Not naptime!” she declared. “I want cartoons.” 

“Lunch first,” Melanie declared. They wandered out to the kitchen and Melanie dug out peanut butter and jelly supplies, neatly laid them out on the stainless steel counter, and began assembling sandwiches. Gabriel scooted in next to her and stuck a spoon in the jar of grape jelly. He scooped a few spoons of the wobbly purple stuff onto a single slice of bread, then folded it in half triumphantly. 

“Hey, did you ever try them with bananas?” Sam asked, hoisting Charlotte on his hip and wandering around the kitchen. He pulled milk out of the fridge, and glasses from the cupboard. 

“On the sandwich?” she asked, eyes wide. 

“Yeah! No jelly, just peanut butter and bananas.” 

“You’re weird,” she said, wrinkling her nose. He chuckled. 

“Yeah. I guess.” Sam kissed the top of her head. 

“I love you, Daddy,” she said, nuzzling into his shoulder. 

Tears sprang to his eyes. “I love you too, Charlotte,” he whispered. He caught Gabriel’s eye and noticed the archangel’s eyes glistening as well. 

“Your soul is so, so glowing right now,” Gabriel murmured, quietly enough that only Sam could hear. “Never knew it could get more beautiful, Samshine.” The tears were spilling down Sam’s cheeks freely now and he wandered over near the pantry shelves. 

Melanie finished laying sandwiches out on the table, trying to give them some semblance of privacy. She perched across from Gabriel on the uncomfortable little stool and bit into her sandwich. Sam walked over a moment later and carefully placed Charlotte on the stool next to Melanie. He sat across from her, giving Gabriel’s hand a quick squeeze as he sat down. He bit deeply into the sandwich. “You put the banana in!” he said delightedly around the mouthful of food. Melanie smiled. 

“So, one down, one to go,” Gabriel mused. “Any thoughts on what your red-eyed friend wanted?” 

“Friend,” Sam snorted. Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Think they were after the same thing, same reason?” 

“Maybe,” Gabriel said. “Guess we need to… find someone and ask them.” He and Sam exchanged a look. 

“Tonight?” 

“Tonight.” 

Melanie looked troubled. She could well imagine how unpleasant and dangerous getting answers out of demons would be. “Will you be back for breakfast tomorrow?” she asked, swallowing a lump of peanut butter. 

“Yeah,” Sam said. “Shouldn’t take long.” 

“So do you think I’ll be able to go home soon?” 

“Oh.” His face clouded over with sadness. “Oh, you want to go home. Of course.” Sam glanced over at Charlotte. 

“Hey, we’ll figure something out. I mean, I guess you don’t really have a schedule exactly but we’ll figure something out, you know? Whenever you want to come visit. Or us to come visit.” 

“Okay. Right.” he said, getting up suddenly and carrying his plate to the sink. He walked out of the kitchen without another word. 

“What did I do wrong?” she asked Gabriel, exasperated. 

“You’re very eager to leave us,” he observed. 

“I miss my home! I have work piled up on my desk! I have a conference in two months that I should be prepping for! I was supposed to go do karaoke with my girls tomorrow night. Am I not supposed to miss that?” 

“Hey, I’m not saying that. I’m just telling you that that’s what’s eating Sam.” Gabriel threw his hands up. 

Melanie huffed. “I thought I was being sensible.” 

“Exactly. No one in this family is very sensible.” 

“I’m not in this family.” 

Gabriel didn’t say anything to this, but the set of his mouth was tight. “Hey, I promised a certain young lady an ice cream sundae, didn’t I?” he said abruptly, snapping his fingers. A sheet cake bedecked with roses appeared on the table, with 15 neat scoops of ice cream covering the surface, topped with various syrups, nuts, sprinkles, whipped cream, and gummi bears. It was a massive, decadent display of confectionary. Charlotte stared at it. “Don’t eat it all at once, kid,” Gabriel said, standing up and walking out of the kitchen. He passed Dean and Castiel in the doorway, looking decidedly rumpled and happy. 

“Ooh, lunch,” said Dean gleefully, dropping into a seat. Melanie cut a small corner piece of the cake, with mint ice cream and chocolate syrup, and put it on a plate for Charlotte. Dean selected four different sections, carved the slices haphazardly and piled them on a large plate. He dug into them with gusto. 

“Work up an appetite?” said Melanie with a quirked eyebrow and a little smile. 

Dean grinned. “Yep.” Caramel sauce and whipped cream dribbled down his chin. 

“You sposta have lunch before you eat sweets,” Charlotte admonished. “You’ll get sick, Uncle Dean.” 

Dean looked abashed. Castiel smirked. “I’ll, uh, I’ll remember that next time,” Dean stammered out. “Sorry.” He moved his gaze to Melanie, his face suddenly serious. “Sorry. Mel, I’m so, so sorry. Cas tells me I was stupid-“ 

“I didn’t say that!” the angel protested. 

“Message came through, Cas. Shit, let me apologize, would ya?” He ran a hand across his face. 

“Dean, I think we can move on from this, okay?” Melanie sighed. “Just… you’re so off the babysitting list.” 

“Eh. I was just gonna eat all your food and make out with my boyfriend on your couch, anyway.” 

Melanie laughed. “Fair enough. Hey, speaking of which, I’m feeling kind of bad that we’re depleting your grocery supply here. I think I might go shopping? So if you want to make a list…” 

“I figured you’d gone out. Where did the cake come from?” he said, eyeing the forkful of cake and ice cream suspiciously. 

“Oh, Gabriel… made it?” she said uncertainly, snapping her fingers by way of explanation. “I don’t entirely get how that works.” 

Dean put his fork down, his face curling in disgust, and pushed the plate away. Charlotte had been silently engaged in finishing her own cake, and now reached her fork over to nab a frosting rose from Dean’s rejected cake. 

“Dean, I’ve told you it’s perfectly safe. The molecules are identical to what you would purchase at a store. Safer, in fact, since we can be certain there are no pathogens or contamination as sometimes may occur unbeknownst to humans.” 

“Dude killed me with a freaking taco, Cas,” Dean grumbled. 

“Yes, but that was on purpose.” 

“Oh, this sounds like a story,” Melanie hummed interestedly. 

Dean looked down at the frosting-covered child. “Later,” he said pointedly. “I got all kinds of stories for later.” 

“I like stories,” said Charlotte. 

“Yeah, I guess I got some of those, too.” He ruffled her hair. “We cool?” She nodded. “You’re not afraid of me?” She stared, unmoving. Dean sighed. “I guess I’ve got that coming, yeah.” He stood up and wandered over to the sink. The breakfast dishes were still piled in it and he set to work washing them with quiet determination. 

Melanie ushered Charlotte to the bedroom and washed her face and hands, amid protests and indignant squawking. She dug through their bags until she found the portable DVD player and handed it to her with a sigh. “I think it’s only got Beauty and the Beast in it though, and we didn’t bring anything else.” Charlotte shrugged and curled up on the bed to watch the movie with Pumpkin. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm off tomorrow morning to PITTCON. WOOHOO CASTIEL PHOTO OP HERE I COME. Probably no more updates until next week.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel has an interesting idea, and Cas and Charlotte find a common interest.

After storming out of the kitchen, Sam had scooped up his laptop and retreated to the soft chairs and the chess table on the balcony. It was usually a good place to fume in silence, but Gabriel found him soon afterward. “You don’t want them to go,” he observed, dropping into the other chair. 

Sam snorted. “Well yeah. I mean, I just find out that I have a kid, I get a chance to get attached to said kid, and then she’s gone again. This is not fair. In a long, long line of not fair, this is pretty freaking low.” 

“There’s that, yes. But Sam, plenty of people work around this all the time. It’s not like you’d want to give up hunting and go be with them, right? Or have them stay here, raise the kid into this life of yours?” Gabriel nudged his knee with an outstretched foot. “Because if you want us to be done… it’ll hurt, kiddo, like you wouldn’t believe, but I won’t have you stay and be miserable.” 

“Gabriel, dammit!” Sam exclaimed irritably. “Stop with that. I am not leaving you.” 

“Sam, I know you’re falling for her,” he replied sadly. 

“Maybe I kind of am,” Sam admitted with a frown. “But I love _you_ and I have no desire for any kind of life that doesn’t include you.” Sam huffed. “Honestly, I cannot see how someone can be so arrogant and so insecure at the same freaking time.” 

“Millenia of practice,” Gabriel replied dryly. He stood up and removed the laptop from Sam’s hands and placed it on the table, then straddled his lap. “Reassure me?” he pleaded, gazing into Sam’s eyes. Sam sighed fondly and threaded his fingers into Gabriel’s unruly hair. He pulled the archangel’s face close, capturing his lips in a fierce, lingering kiss. Gabriel whimpered and sagged against him. 

“I’m yours, honey. As long as you’ll have me,” Sam purred against his ear. He wrapped his long arms around Gabriel’s waist and inhaled contentedly. Gabriel nestled against Sam’s chest and listened to his heartbeat. 

This was how Melanie found them when she came up the stairs some time later, intent on going out the door for some air. “Oops – sorry,” she said, blushing. “Carry on. I’m just heading outside.” 

“Actually, Mel, wait,” said Gabriel, extracting himself from Sam’s warmth. “Come talk to us.” He motioned to the empty chair, and perched himself on the edge of the table. 

“Okay,” she said a little nervously. Gabriel was smiling, a strange, plotting smile, and Sam began to worry. 

“Mel, sweetheart, I know you and Sam are feeling a little of the old magic spark between you.” She opened her mouth to protest, but he waved a hand. “No, don’t argue, we all know it’s true. I mean, you didn’t make a child together because there was nothing on TV. And if I can be totally arrogant for a moment here… you and I, we have this feeling between us too, don’t we?” 

Melanie sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Stupid of me. But I’ll go home and work on forgetting about it, and get out of your hair. I’m not here to complicate you.” 

“Who says complication would be a bad thing?” 

“What?” said Sam, blinking. 

“Well, kiddo, we all seem to be in agreement here,” said Gabriel, spreading his hands triumphantly. “Why fight it?” 

“Gabriel, are you insane?” Sam spluttered. He glanced at Melanie. She was looking back and forth between them consideringly. 

“Of course I am,” he laughed. “Sam, I’m not going to twist your arm. But think about it, okay?” He pulled them both to standing and into a hug before either of them knew what was happening. Melanie slid an arm around each man, letting them pull her close. Sam rested his chin on the top of her head. On the other side, Gabriel pressed a gentle kiss to her temple. “Doesn’t this feel right?” he murmured, nuzzling against Sam’s shoulder. Melanie tightened her fingers around each of their waists, the sculpted muscle and tight skin of Sam and the impossibly warm, softer skin above Gabriel’s hipbone, and let out a happy sigh. 

“I’m willing to try this,” said Sam at last. He pulled back, extracting himself from the embrace. “Just… I need to go for a walk, okay? I need to think.” He went out the door, clanging it behind him. 

“I’d better go see what Charlotte is up to,” said Melanie, retreating down the stairs. She felt too keyed up and wary of Sam’s emotional confusion to trust herself alone with the archangel at the moment. 

She was surprised to find Castiel perched on the edge of the bed, watching the movie with Charlotte, though she was less surprised when she realized that he was petting the cat. Charlotte was explaining the merits of various characters and explaining the storyline, and Castiel appeared to be listening in fascination. Melanie sat in the wooden chair at the desk and pulled out a thick folder from her briefcase, a small amount of work she could actually get done while stuck here. She needed to engage her brain in something other than the conversation with Sam and Gabriel. She realized with a start that she might not get back to finish any of this stuff. If what Gabriel was asking of her played out, would she stay here forever? She looked at Charlotte and frowned, thinking of the normal life she could never have, raised in a hunters’ habitat. Too much to think about. 

“She will never be able to get away from it, you know. I know you want to take her away from this and protect her, but this life will always find her. She is marked in too many ways. I think it would be better if she was raised to understand it,” Castiel said. 

“Were you in my head?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at the angel. 

“You’re very loud,” he protested. “I’m not trying to.” 

Melanie sighed. “Maybe I should go think somewhere else.” 

“If you like,” Castiel replied. “I’d like to hear the movie. I fear the young woman is trapped in the enchanted castle with the beast.” 

“It’s gonna be okay, Uncle Cas,” Charlotte reassured him gravely, patting his hand. “But you can snuggle with me if you get scared, okay?” 

Melanie chuckled and kissed the top of Charlotte’s head, gathered up her papers and shuffled out to the library. 

Gabriel was sprawled across one of the chairs, reading a magazine and eating a lollipop. Melanie sat in the next chair, tucking her feet up underneath her, and began going through the pages of her report. So much for getting work done without thinking about either of them. 

Gabriel squirmed around and switched positions so he could peer at her papers. “Whatcha working on?” he asked. 

“I’m supposed to be moderating a symposium on local history, and presenting a paper on the coal mine industry, next month. At – at home.” She looked wistfully at her papers. 

“You have a career that you love, don’t you?” 

“I do. Very much.” 

“Are we selfish for trying to tempt you away from it?” 

Melanie smiled and reached out to cover his hand with hers. “If that’s what I decide, clearly you boys were making a better case than my research goals were. Give me some credit for knowing my own mind.” With a mischievous look, she quickly snatched his lollipop and popped it into her own mouth. Gabriel looked stunned for a moment, then snapped his fingers and there was another one. “Ooh, butterscotch,” said Melanie greedily, making a grab for that one too. Gabriel rolled his eyes and handed it over. 

“I can keep doing this all night,” he said, winking. Melanie said nothing, just met his gaze and popped both lollipops in her mouth. 

She shifted her focus to her work, and Gabriel made a radio come on somewhere, or maybe the music was just coming from him somehow. It seemed to be a selection of Top 40 hits from the 70s and 80s. Not Melanie’s first pick, but it was okay music to work to. She made her way through her entire report and penciled in her corrections, losing herself in thinking about history. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I lied. One more for today. :D


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Sam have a chat, bitchface is apparently hereditary, and missions are begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't sleep so here, have another. Please let me know if I did anything bizarre in an insomnia fueled mania.

Outside, Sam had found Dean near the Impala, getting her ready to take a drive. “Beer run,” he said. “Wanna come, Sammy?” 

Sam shrugged. “Okay.” Maybe a drive with Dean would clear his head more than a walk in the field would. 

They had not gotten far before Dean turned to him, and Sam realized that this was not going to be a quiet, relaxing drive. No, Dean had Things To Say. 

“I already said to Mel, but I wanna tell you too. I’m sorry for trying to go too far before. I panicked. It was dumb.” 

Sam’s eyebrows lifted. “Okay. Okay, but… dude, you saw her as a monster. A freak. I can’t get over that that is your basic reaction.” 

“And I’m saying that was wrong, okay? She’s just a kid. Hopefully it’s all cleaned up and end of story now. Until the demons make a move, which they probably only wanted her because they heard what the God squad was cooking, everything’s sunshine and lollipops for her.” 

“Maybe we should find that out for sure-“ Sam began. 

“Uh-uh. Not gonna tweak any demons. If they want something, we’ll hear from them again.” 

Sam looked out the passenger window. “So um. Dean.” He fidgeted his hands in his lap. “Just before I came outside, I was talking to Gabe and Mel.” 

“Yeah? You and Gabe looked pretty cozy when I came out. I didn’t want to disturb you.” 

Sam nodded. “Well, Mel came up and we all were talking. Um. So. Gabriel thinks… basically, since all three of us are interested in one another…” 

Dean hooted. “Gabe, you wild animal. Hey, go for it Sammy. I’ll… well okay, Cas’ll watch the kid.” 

“No! Dean, it’s not like that. He’s not talking about sex. Well, not just sex. Like… a relationship.” 

“The three of you?” Dean looked over at Sam. “It sounds like it would be hot at first and then end up as a nightmare.” Sam grimaced. 

“Maybe, maybe not. Thing is… I really do want them to stay. I mean, Melanie wants to get back to her life, but maybe for this, she’d stay. Research. Maybe get back into hunting.” 

“Do you want her to stay for her or because you want the kid to stay?” 

Sam sighed. “Yeah, I have to figure out that part, too.” 

“Well Sam, I got your back, no matter what weird shit you want to try. Just make sure you know what the hell you’re getting into.” 

The rest of the trip was conducted without any further discussion on the difficult subjects, just their usual brotherly banter. They fetched the beer, made a stop by the auto parts store, and then decided to grab Chinese takeout. They made it back to the bunker a few hours later, much cheerier and at ease when they clambered down the stairs. Sam nodded at Melanie and Gabriel, noting that they were sitting pretty close together. He wondered what they had been talking about, and tried to subdue the confused knot of jealousy and smooth it over with happiness. 

“Cas? Where ya at, Angel?” Dean called. “Come give me a kiss.” Castiel emerged with Charlotte perched on his shoulders and Dean gave him an exaggeratedly sloppy smooch, carefully dodging the tiny pink sneakers lest they strike at him. 

“Didja miss me?” 

“Of course,” Castiel answered, as Charlotte shook her head. But she was also smiling at him, the kind of smile that looked ready to spill over into giggles at any moment. Dean squinted warily up at the little girl. 

“Hey, Garth called back about that thing in Montana. He wants us to go deal with it. You game?” 

“Just you and me?” Castiel asked. 

“Yeah. Yeah, just a couple vamps, probably. Nothing we can’t handle together. Sammy can sit tight and hope for word from the demon front, and Gabe can just- whatever he does,” Dean amended quickly, rethinking the habitual insult to Gabriel. 

“We’ll head out after dinner. I got you shrimp toast.” 

“Dean, you know I don’t require-“ 

“Oh shut it, you love it and you know it,” Dean retorted fondly. 

They soon had the food spread out on the tables and fixed plates. Charlotte refused to eat anything but fried noodles and duck sauce, and plain white rice. Sam sat across from her and offered various vegetables, but she rejected them as “too saucy” or “weird.” He looked around helplessly, but Melanie just shrugged, unconcerned with the ups and downs of the preschooler’s appetite. 

“Well what about the broccoli? It’s stir fried broccoli, just like last night-“ 

“MOMMY cooked it last night,” Charlotte returned with a withering glare so like Sam’s own that Dean choked and then burst into laughter. Sam gave up after that. 

After dinner, Dean and Castiel loaded up and headed out toward the case. Gabriel volunteered to put Charlotte to bed. He tucked her in snugly and sat on the edge of the bed, singing to her until she fell asleep. 

Sam packed Melanie’s minivan with the supplies they’d need for tonight. He was glad that Garth had been able to find a case for Dean and Cas so they wouldn’t be around to ask questions. He was standing at the storeroom table, stuffing lengths of rope into a canvas bag when Melanie found him. She slid an arm around Sam’s waist and leaned against his side. “You two are going to go do something dangerous and ill-advised involving demons, aren’t you?” 

Sam smiled grimly. “Yep.” 

“No other alternatives?” 

“Nope.” 

Melanie sighed. “Be careful out there, okay?” 

Sam stroked her hair softly. He bent down and kissed her, gently at first, then more hungrily. Melanie clutched at his shirt collar, pulling him closer and hauling herself up on tiptoes. When at last they broke apart and she opened her eyes, she saw Gabriel standing in the doorway. He was grinning. 

“Do I get a good luck kiss, too?” he pouted. Melanie reached out her hand to him, and he took it, pulling her into his arms with a dramatic flourish. His kiss was so different from Sam’s, soft, quick little teasing nips that deepened into a slow, languid kiss. After a breathless moment, he pulled back and turned to Sam. “You okay, kiddo?” 

“Yeah. Yeah, I think so.” He reached for Gabriel and kissed him thoroughly, finding comfort in the still familiar feel of his mouth, with just a hint of Melanie on his lips. Gabriel stroked his thumb along Sam’s jawline. 

“We should get going,” Sam sighed. 

“Remember sweetie, pray if you need anything.” Gabriel gave Melanie’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “We’ll be fine.” 

Melanie walked them to the door and watched them drive away in her minivan. She then retreated to her room and tried to read while waiting anxiously. Eventually she fell asleep curled around Charlotte, lulled to sleep by the quiet white noise of the inner workings of the bunker. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel and Sam are quite determined to get information.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, blood gore violence trauma etc in this one. 
> 
> Also, Gabriel musing about his feelings. He insisted.

Gabriel kicked the dirt and looked around nervously. If anyone had told the archangel just a few years ago that he’d be party to the summoning of a demon he would have laughed his ass off. He watched Sam brush the dust of the crossroads from his hands, moonlight shining on his hair. Oh, the ways that boy had changed his life. And Gabriel had never regretted it for a moment. From the near death experience at his own brother’s hands, to voluntarily entering Hell’s cage to face his brothers’ wrath and pull out the shreds of Sam’s beautiful, tortured soul, to all the months spent healing the man in every way possible, Gabriel was grateful every moment that Sam Winchester existed, beyond grateful that he got to be part of his life. 

Gabriel stepped into the little grove of trees and waited, leaving Sam to stand there by the road alone. In a moment, he was not alone anymore. A young man stood there, a college boy with sandy hair and wire rimmed glasses. 

“What can I do for you?” the young man asked. Gabriel’s senses were overwhelmed with the stench of the unholy creature, and he knew the demon must be sensing the nearby archangel too. But before he could figure out why he felt uneasy, Sam had the demon knife at his throat. 

“I need information,” Sam growled. He dragged the demon into the woods nearby and cuffed him with the demon trap cuffs hanging from a tree. “You’re going to tell me what Crowley and anyone else from downstairs wants with my kid.” 

“Oh, am I,” scoffed the demon. “What would make me do that?” 

“Welllll… Sam and I, we make a pretty good team at this,” said Gabriel, stepping forward, his blade glinting in the moonlight. 

“Yeah, I don’t ---- ahhhhh!” Whatever clever remark the demon was making was cut short by Sam’s knife slicing into his arm. “Come on, I ---- ahhhh!” Sam brutally hacked at his ear, leaving it half off. Sam’s face was dark and ruthless. “I can’t, Crowley will –“ 

“You afraid of your Daddy, kid? Ol’ Luci in the cage?” Gabriel asked. The demon nodded. “Well this is the guy that bested him, and I’m the one who helped. I think, considering that we’re the ones currently torturing you, you might fear us. Just a little. Little more than Crowley.” 

“You won’t get your angel hands dirty,” the demon spit out. 

“It’s Sam’s hands right now,” Gabriel smirked. “And oooh, do I love his hands dirty.” 

Sam jabbed the demon in the side again. “Uuuuugh – fine, fine. Just – so, s-some demons – were gonna –were gonna grab the kid and bring Lucifer back!” 

“There’s more to it than that,” said Sam, hacking at the demon’s thigh and watching the blood spurt away. 

“Stop! I’m getting there! It’s Crowley – he, he wants her too. Wants to use her… something about angel blood plus demon blood. Making her the ultimate weapon. She could kill anything.” 

Sam backed up, nearly dropping the knife. Then he felt the rage pull back and crash against him like the tide, fueled by the sweet delicious smell of the demon’s blood and the knife was poised in his hand ready to end the demon. And he knew that he would fall upon it and drink it dry, but Gabriel was holding him back, Gabriel with impossible strength and calmness, was pulling him back. “Shhh, Sam, shhh, I’ve got you,” he whispered low. He waved his hand and cleaned every molecule of demon blood spatter from Sam’s clothes and hands and the blade of the knife. Sam was still pulling against him, straining toward the frightened demon. Gabriel sighed and snapped his fingers, sending Sam home, in bed, asleep. 

Gabriel walked over to the demon. “Guess it’s just us chickens,” he trilled playfully. “You know, it’s weird for me to not have a human around. I should fix that.” The demon stared in confusion, then cringed as the archangel reached out two fingers toward his forehead. He was very surprised to find that all of his wounds had been healed. He was even more surprised a moment later when he was forced out of the meatsuit and then he felt no more surprise, or anything in fact, as the smoke dissipated into nothingness. 

Gabriel released the trembling young man from the shackles and helped him to Melanie’s minivan. “Can I give you a ride somewhere? Where were you at before the black smoke hit?” 

“Um…. Berkeley,” the kid mumbled. 

“Right,” said Gabriel. “Well, let’s do this the easy way.” He touched the kid’s shoulder and sent him to Berkeley, right in front of a favorite bar off campus. The kid was pleased to find out that he even had sufficient cash in his pocket to go in and drink away the trauma of demonic possession. 

Gabriel then drove Melanie’s minivan back to the bunker, cleaned up and put away all of the equipment they’d used that evening, and went to the bedroom. Sam was still sleeping soundly, though Gabriel was displeased to realize that he’d put Sam to bed on top of the covers fully dressed, even his shoes and jacket. “Shoddy work, Trickster,” he muttered, amending his mistake. He then crawled under the covers next to the naked hunter and spooned up against his back, preparing for the inevitable nightmares. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little hurt/comfort, a little domesticity, a little action and adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pittcon was AMAZING, got to meet Misha and Rob, but I've been suffering post-con depression and it's been tough to work on writing this week. Think I'm getting back into the groove though. Enjoy!

Melanie woke up the next morning twisted up in a strange position, very uncomfortable. When she started to stretch and move, she found that her shoulders, neck, arms, back, and hips all sang with the agony of a fibromyalgia flare up. “Great,” she muttered. “Perfect timing.” She rolled over to try to ease her way out of bed, but found that her legs were uninterested in cooperating. The soreness from her lower back went down her butt and into the backs of her legs, and made her feel too wobbly and uncertain about standing. She looked longingly at the stack of bags in the corner. Somewhere in that mess was her TENS unit, and probably some ibuprofen. 

“Charlotte?” 

“Mmph?” came the answer from the pillow on the other side. 

“Go out and see if anyone else is up yet? Mommy is hurty and needs help.” 

After a few yawns and some stretching, the little girl extracted herself from the covers and crawled out of bed, her hair tangled in knots. She padded out of the room in her purple cupcake-print footie pajamas. 

Melanie sighed and stretched cautiously, but the pain only got worse. It had been some time since she had had such a bad day, but it was hardly surprising given the amount of stress the last few days had been. She realized with a start that she didn’t even know how Sam and Gabriel’s mission last night had worked out. What if they weren’t even back? What if something had happened to them? 

She didn’t have to worry for long, though. Charlotte soon padded back into the room, followed by Gabriel and Sam both. 

“Hey, kiddo, what’s up?” said Gabriel smoothly, sitting down next to her. “Lottie said you were ‘having a shitty morning again’.” 

Melanie groaned. “Fibro flare. I need to be electrocuted.” 

Sam laughed nervously. “Um. What?” 

“I need my TENS unit to zap myself. And probably painkillers would be nice.” 

Gabriel frowned. “The fibromyalgia came back?” 

“Yeah. I guess pregnancy kind of puts it in remission sometimes, but it doesn’t last forever.” 

“I don’t know about that, but I healed it for you when I first met you.” He smoothed her hair out of her face. “I’m sorry. I guess it wasn’t permanent. Your immune system must have launched another attack. Let me help now?” 

“You what… um, sure,” she agreed cautiously. Gabriel touched two fingers to her forehead and closed his eyes. Melanie felt warmth and peace coursing through her body. In just a moment all her pain was gone. Gabriel opened his eyes and she saw a glint of shining gold before they resumed their usual golden-brown appearance. Melanie sat up slowly. Yep, everything seemed to work fine. “Wow,” she said in awe. “Thank you.” 

“I have no idea how long it will last. But, I can easily do that again if it does come back. There’s no reason you should suffer.” He slipped an arm around her waist and was about to lean down and kiss her when Sam cleared his throat. Charlotte was still standing there, next to Sam in the doorway. 

“Breakfast?” Sam asked. 

“Sounds good to me,” Melanie replied, getting out of bed. “I feel amazing. I’ll cook for us.” 

In the kitchen, Sam busied himself with making coffee. Charlotte sat at the table and colored pictures while waiting for breakfast, occasionally sneaking a sugar cube out of the dish when none of the adults were paying attention. There was music playing again, what Melanie had begun to think of as Gabe Radio. Gabriel stood near Melanie while she cooked and in a low undertone told her all that had happened last night. “It’ll be okay, sugar,” he promised at the end, planting a quick kiss on the top of her head. 

Melanie made a large batch of scrambled eggs with spinach and tomatoes, though it seemed to be the last of everything. Gabriel picked around the vegetables again, and contented himself with three scoops of orange marmalade on his toast instead. After breakfast was eaten and cleaned up, Melanie announced her intention to go grocery shopping. “Maybe Charlotte can stay here?” she suggested. “She’s not usually a big fan of the grocery store, and you guys can have fun hanging out, and I… um…” 

“You need the break,” Sam said sympathetically. “Of course! You deserve it.” 

“Take all the time you need. I’ll wrangle these two,” Gabriel said. Sam rolled his eyes. 

“Thanks guys.” Melanie went back to her room to get ready. She pulled on leggings and thick socks and boots, as it was still cold outside of the bunker, with dirty snowdrifts dotting the landscape here and there. She selected a floral-print cotton dress and a dark pink cardigan over it. She grabbed her coat and purse and headed out the bedroom door, where she found Sam waiting in the hallway. He caught her face between his hands and bent down to kiss her. His hands raked through her hair, and Melanie dropped her purse with a clunk and slipped her arms around his waist. 

“I’ve been waiting to do that all morning,” he said with a chuckle. 

“I’m glad you did,” she said. “Hey, how are you feeling? Gabe told me about last night.” She brushed her fingertips across his cheek. Sam glanced away and sighed. 

“I’ll be okay. But yeah, it got a little intense… I wasn’t sure if I could hold it back, you know? It’s a good thing Gabe was there.” He stooped to pick up her purse and handed it to her as they walked toward the door. 

In the library, Gabriel and Charlotte were on the floor with an enormous box of dominoes, setting up rows of them around the floors. They both leapt up to hug her goodbye, Gabriel sneaking a quick peck on her lips while Charlotte was adhered to Melanie’s shins. Melanie finally extracted herself and set off to grocery shop. 

She slipped into the driver’s seat of her minivan with a happy sigh. She followed the directions Sam had given her to the supermarket in the next town, marveling at the dreary flatness of the landscape and thinking wistfully of her mountains at home. She pushed the shopping cart around the aisles, filling up on all the good, wholesome things that she could in a small Midwestern town in late winter. Walking around the aisles was relaxing, and it gave her time to think. Since yesterday’s conversation, she had not had much of a chance to reflect on Gabriel’s suggestion. It was true, she felt a strong attraction to both men. The affection that she felt for Sam felt like the revival of a barely forgotten memory. She’d been half in love with him all these years, and it hadn’t taken much to start falling again. With Gabriel, it was more uncertain. She had certainly had a massive crush on that PA all those years ago, but she was still trying to reconcile that person with the complex entity Gabriel had turned out to be. There was the lighthearted, sexy, funny guy and there was the archangel demigod, capable of creating and destroying with a mere wish, and the thought of being with him was more than a little intimidating. Melanie wondered how Sam coped. Did he ever feel inadequate, unworthy? Perhaps a chat with just Sam was in order. 

She rounded the corner into the frozen foods aisle. Ice cream seemed like a good idea, maybe with homemade hot fudge sauce. She paused in front of the case, studying the flavors. She decided on chocolate marshmallow and opened the freezer door. A young businessman next to her reached in at the same time she did, but instead of grabbing a container of ice cream, he grabbed Melanie’s arm. She tried to pull away but found that the grip was iron tight. Inhuman. 

“Uh uh uh, don’t make a fuss dear,” the man said. He pulled her against his chest, letting the freezer door slam. “We’re just going to go on a little trip.” He touched her forehead and Melanie suddenly found herself in a small, dirty room with concrete floors and cinder block walls. In the center was a long wooden table and some folding chairs, and hung on one of the walls was a broken old whiteboard. It looked like a disused conference room, probably in some abandoned warehouse. Typical. 

“What are you?” she demanded. The man just chuckled. 

“Oh dear, haven’t you consorted with angels enough to recognize us? My goodness, I can smell one all over you.” 

“Oh yeah, well that’s not just any angel, buster. That’s Gabriel. Gabriel! Gabriel, help!” she shouted desperately. How had she forgotten about praying? “He is so going to smite your ass.” 

“But that prayer’s not going to work, you know. You’re warded. You were so hard to find. It was easier to find your car, so that worked out well for us. Not going to work so well for your friends, since you’re nowhere near your car now.” He chuckled. “You might as well sit tight, dear.” The door behind him opened and three more people poured into the room. A man and two women in nondescript jeans and jackets. They surrounded Melanie and pushed her into one of the chairs, tying her feet and hands roughly to it. She saw flashes of black eyes and the stink of sulfur was all around. Great. Demons now, too. She tried to stay alert and look for any information that would be helpful, and to compose as many details as possible into a silent prayer to Gabriel. She had no idea if that would work but it seemed to be the only hope. The minutes ticked into hours, the three demons and the angel came and went from the room, and outside of it she could hear movement, as if there were many others outside of those doors, she guessed in some larger warehouse. 

Then there was an intensifying of the sounds on the other side of the door. Struggling, commotion, and someone moaning and screaming angrily around a gag. The door burst open and the demon brute squad shoved someone inside, the figure landing roughly, flat on his face on the concrete floor. His arms were bound behind his back with restraints like nothing Melanie had ever seen before. They seemed to be restraints made of whirling light. She had a sinking feeling. Yes, she recognized that unruly mop of dark golden hair, those shoulders rippling beneath that green jacket, that fabulous butt clad in simple blue jeans. He raised his head, dislodging the gag from his mouth, and the golden-brown eyes of the archangel met hers. 

“Heya, sexy,” Gabriel said. “What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?” 


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet back up again with Dean and Cas.

Dean looked around the downstairs of the abandoned old farmhouse. Scattered among the dusty, broken furniture were a number of headless bodies, oozing into the debris on the floor. “Did we get them all?” he asked Castiel. 

“Yes, that was the last,” Castiel answered gravely, looking at the machete in his hands. “Are you sure you’re alright?” 

“Course I am. I knew you’d come through,” Dean said breezily. Just moments before, he had been pinned down by the last two vamps when Castiel had burst in and hacked both of their heads off in one dramatic swoop. He stepped forward, pressing close into the angel’s personal space. “Kinda hot when you wait until the last minute like that,” he murmured, punctuating it with a kiss. “So hot,” he continued, nibbling his way down the stubble of Cas’s jawline, nipping at his earlobe. “Mmm, Cas, baby, I just wanna…” 

“Oh please, save it for later,” came an irritable voice from behind Dean. Castiel leapt forward and shoved Dean behind him, holding the machete aloft. 

“Crowley,” he growled. “What do you want?” 

“Well I didn’t come for the peep show, lovebirds. There’s a situation which I believe you may be interested in assisting me with. You might say it concerns you. Or, one of yours at least. That woman, your houseguest I believe, has found herself in rather a predicament.” 

“Yeah?” said Dean. “How’s that?” 

“When last we spoke, I tried to tell you about this… rogue group. They will stop at nothing to get Lucifer a new vessel, and they would vastly prefer a Winchester, particularly one who can be easily convinced to do things with a bit of candy or a pony or whatever. Now rumor has it they are working with an angel as well.” Crowley sighed. “I do wish you had worked with me days ago. We could have dealt with it before it came to this.” 

“Came to what? What’s the predicament?” Castiel demanded. 

“And I’d be willing to spill some details if I could trust you, but just last night someone tortured and destroyed one of my crossroads demons. Poor kid just responded to a call to make a deal. Just trying to do his job on some back road in Kansas.” 

Just then, Dean’s phone began to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at the display. “Sammy,” he said, hitting the button. 

“Dean! Dean, Gabriel freaked out and poofed out of here hours ago and he hasn’t been answering me. Mel’s been gone all day. She was only supposed to be grocery shopping. We had tried calling her but she never answered and then he just got that look and disappeared. I don’t know what to do! I’ve been trying to hold it together for Lottie, but she’s asleep now. Are you and Cas done? I need your help. You’ve gotta find them.” 

“Seen any demons lately, Sam?” 

“What the hell, Dean?!” Sam’s voice came through the phone. “I’m really worried, stop being an asshole. Is Cas there?” 

“Yeah. Yeah, Cas and Crowley. We’re just… hanging out here. Shooting the shit. With Crowley.” 

Sam inhaled shakily. “Fine. Yes, I trapped a frigging crossroads demon last night. Not only is there that pack of demons that want to get Lucifer back out, but Crowley wanted to give my daughter the angel blood and demon blood combo and make her this… this ultimate killing machine. So now you’re hanging out with that dick?” 

Dean leveled a glare at Crowley. “Be that as it may,” he said to Sam, “he seems to know something about what’s up with Mel.” 

“Well get what you can out of him, but don’t trust him.” Sam said. “Call me… when you know something.” 

“Yeah.” Dean stuffed the phone away. “Alright, so what do we do?” he addressed to Crowley. 

“I know where they’re holding her. We go get her back. Simple. First, Cas goes and fetches the kid wherever you have her stashed…” 

“HAH that’s not happening,” snorted Dean. “Seriously?” 

“We need the child to get her back. As a diversion. It’ll be fine. Cas will stay with her while you and I go-“ 

“You mean you’ll get the kid to kill Cas and have your demons feed her some blood while you distract me? And then you get her to kill everything else in your way?” 

“Ah,” said Crowley with a shrug. “Well if you like we could do that. At the moment I’m willing to cut my losses and just get the woman and the angel back for you, if it means we clear out the Lucifer fan club meeting.” 

“The angel?” Castiel said, frowning. 

“Oh, archangel, whatever. Moose’s plaything.” 

“Are you saying that they have Gabriel? I figured he was out on the rescue attempt,” Dean said. 

“My intelligence tells me that they found him sniffing around and managed to nab him. Through some angel thing.” 

“I haven’t been able to reach him. I’ve been trying since this conversation began,” Castiel confirmed grimly. 

“Well that’s great,” Dean grumbled. “Fine. Awesome. Let’s go and see what we got.” 

Crowley disappeared, and Castiel grabbed Dean’s hand and followed after. 

They appeared outside of a darkened warehouse building. The parking lot was cracked and uneven, and the once neat landscaping was overgrown, bushes and weeds exploding all around the building. In the distance, lights shone on warehouses, factories, and office buildings in a surrounding industrial park, buildings which still showed signs of life and activity. Only this one seemed to be defunct. 

Castiel and Crowley looked around the area thoughtfully. “Twenty seven demons. One angel, one archangel, and one human,” Crowley said at last, inventorying the building. 

“Well then let’s get this party started,” said Dean, pulling the demon knife from his pocket. 


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A dramatic rescue is staged!

After his ungainly landing on the concrete floor, Gabriel had managed to get up on his knees and crawl over to where Melanie was tied to the chair. A steady stream of blood was making its way down his face from a gash in his forehead. He leaned his head on her lap, then looked in surprise at the bloodstain. “Your head is bleeding, Gabe. Press it against my leg, maybe that will help stop it,” she said, pulling at the ties fastening her wrists to the side of the chair in frustration. “Can you not heal yourself right now?” 

“No powers whatsoever,” he sighed, pressing against her leg until he felt the sting of pressure against the wound. “Grace restraints. Render me useless.” 

“No more useless than we are all the time,” she answered. “I’m so sorry. You were caught because I called you.” 

“You did exactly as you were told to. You prayed when you needed me. I never expected a little shit of an angel to be waiting to ambush me with grace restraints. That had to have taken some planning.” 

“What do they want with us?” 

“They don’t want us. They offered to let both of us go if I’d give them Charlotte.” 

Melanie whimpered. “Is… Sam is still…?” 

“They’re both safe,” Gabriel promised, though he was not confident that Sam would not have scooped the child up and run out to look for them both. He hoped that restraint and levelheadedness would win out, but with Sam it was a crapshoot. 

“What are they going to do to us?” Melanie asked, hysteria creeping into her voice. 

“Stop panicking and let me think,” Gabriel commanded. Melanie bristled but stayed silent after that. 

Several minutes later, Gabriel lifted his head up and turned his face slightly, rubbing his nose against her thigh. “Ow! Shit, I think my nose is broken too. Ugh. Stupid fragile human bodies,” he grumbled, but kept rubbing his nose against her leg rhythmically, in spite of the pain. 

“Uhh, Gabe… you know I’m into you and all that, but this is the weirdest foreplay… not to mention, timing,” Melanie said uncertainly. 

“Shut up, Mel. I haven’t even seen this in centuries and I’m trying to remember—uh, I think that’s it. I hope. Okay, you’re either warded against demonic injury or I’ve just ordered a pepperoni pizza in Enochian, on your thigh, in my blood.” 

“I could go for a pepperoni pizza,” she said wistfully. Gabriel burst into laughter at that, and she grinned down at him fondly. Yeah, falling in love with him was kind of inevitable. Hopefully they’d both live long enough to find out how that worked out. 

The laughter had made the demons nervous, it seemed. The door opened and four of them filed in. Gabriel laid his head back down, hovering millimeters above the marks he’d just inscribed so as not to smudge them. He looked toward the demons with an unamused and disgusted air. 

“I don’t see anything funny in here,” sneered one of them. 

“I’d explain the joke to you but I really don’t think you’re clever enough to get it, sulfur-breath,” Gabriel replied flippantly. The demon aimed a kick at him in response, catching him in the side with a sickening crack of ribs. Gabriel let out a very human moaning gasp of pain and surprise, and Melanie screamed, all the panic she had been suppressing suddenly let loose at the assault on the helpless archangel at her side. She was still screaming when Castiel rushed through the door, smiting two demons with his hands while Dean knifed a third one. The fourth had run toward Dean while his knife was still buried in the other, but was quickly caught by Castiel and dispatched as well. 

Then it was all over and Castiel was picking Gabriel up off the floor while Dean untied Melanie. “Brother! Are you alright?” Castiel said, running his hands across Gabriel’s face, down his torso, looking for injuries all over and healing them as he found them. He walked around Gabriel, staring at his bound hands in confusion. “How can I release you?” he asked, frowning. 

“Have you never seen grace restraints used, Cas?” Gabriel asked quietly. “Or do you just not remember?” 

“I… I don’t…” Castiel’s face trembled. 

Gabriel sighed. “The only way to release them is to kill the angel that put them on. It’s meant to be a life sentence.” 

“Well where is this angel?” Dean asked. 

“Who?” added Castiel. 

“I imagine it’s this bugger here,” growled Crowley, shoving the figure of a man into the room. Castiel stepped forward, the point of his angel blade at the angel’s chest. 

“Simon,” he said in surprise. “So you’ve decided to join Lucifer’s service?” 

“He’s the rightful heir to Heaven, Castiel. The last archangel – the last one with any ambition or ability to lead, anyway,” he added with a sneer at Gabriel. “He could finally run it as it’s supposed to be.” 

“After wiping out humanity and demonkind alike, no doubt,” Gabriel said. 

“Indeed,” Simon agreed. “Just as I said.” 

Castiel pressed the point of the blade in harder at this. “Is there any way you can release Gabriel from those bonds?” 

“No.” At that, Castiel drove the blade home. 

Dean pulled Melanie against his chest, shielding her eyes from the blast of grace from the dying angel. Next to them, Gabriel slumped to the floor on all fours as the grace restraints released his hands and allowed his power to flow through him once again. For a moment, golden wings seemed to glittery all throughout the room and around them and Melanie felt soft feathers caress her legs through her tattered clothing, and then they were invisible, or gone, once again. 

Gabriel tried to stand up, but quickly found himself falling and Castiel grabbed him and held him against his side. “I suppose that must be disorienting,” Castiel mused. 

“Just get me to Sam,” Gabriel said hoarsely. Castiel nodded and the two angels disappeared, leaving Dean, Melanie, and Crowley standing in the warehouse. 


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I FINISHED IT I FINISHED IT I CAN'T BELIEVE I FINISHED IT!
> 
> Definitely look for more in this 'verse. So, so much more want to be written. Please please comment with suggestions ideas or anything you want to say. I adore comments.

Half an hour later, Dean and Melanie had acquired a blue Ford sedan from a nearby parking lot and were on the highway headed toward the bunker when Castiel appeared in the backseat. 

“Hello Dean, Melanie,” he said casually. 

“Dammit, Cas!” Dean exclaimed. “You couldn’t take all of us? I had to put up with frigging chatty Crowley. Dude does not understand the concept of a cold shoulder. Thought I was going to have him over for tea or some shit. Not to mention that I had to practically carry our brothers’ girlfriend because she’s been roughed up by asshole demons and she ain’t feeling so hot.” 

“I’m sorry, Dean,” Castiel said. “Transporting an archangel is very difficult for me, particularly when he is unwell and vulnerable. It was important that I get him home right away where he would be safe. I returned to the warehouse but you were no longer there. I had to deduce your next movements to find you.” As he spoke, he reached forward and touched Melanie’s forehead, healing the bruises and scrapes and sprains from her ordeal. 

“Wait, so why is Gabe still not himself again? I thought ganking that mofo was supposed to break the magic power-down effect?” Dean frowned. 

“He’s going to need time to heal,” Castiel said. “He is very eager for you to arrive, Melanie. He regrets having had to leave you behind just now.” Melanie sighed with relief. She hadn’t realized that she had been so worried when he wanted to just run home to Sam, especially after he’d been irritable with her while they were trapped. 

“Yeah, he doesn’t regret leaving me behind though, and snagging my ride,” Dean grumbled. “Speaking of which… hey Cas, how about you send her home and then take me to get my Baby instead of this piece of crap?” 

Melanie soon found herself in the bunker, standing at the foot of the stairs. She ran down the hallway, pausing first at her room, confirming that Charlotte and Pumpkin were sleeping peacefully, then sprinting to Sam and Gabriel’s room. Gabriel was tucked under the covers, sound asleep, looking heartbreakingly small and vulnerable. Sam sat crosslegged on the bed, frowning at a book in his hands. He dropped the book when she appeared in the doorway and launched himself at her, pulling her close in a fierce hug, then kissing her, then cupping her face in his hands and just looking at it. 

“You’re okay?” he asked at last. “Gabriel said… he thought they might have hurt you…” 

“Oh, no big deal. They just sort of drug me across the floor a bit on the way in. Not as bad as they hurt him. But Cas fixed us.” She dropped into the chair and started peeling off her filthy, tattered clothes, tossing them into the wastebasket. Sam watched with growing interest, but she paused at her undergarments. “Speaking of which, I’m going to go hog up the shower before those two get back here. I’ll be back soon.” 

She returned half an hour later in a flannel nightgown, with a towel around her wet hair. Sam was sitting at the table, cleaning and polishing her leather boots meditatively. Gabriel was still asleep. She perched on the bed, laying a gentle hand on Gabriel’s foot. “How long do you think he’ll be out for?” 

Sam shrugged. “Cas should know, maybe.” 

“They went to get the car. I don’t think they’ll be back until tomorrow.” 

“It is tomorrow,” Sam said wryly. He gestured to the alarm clock, which read 4:23. 

“Charlotte will be up soon,” Melanie sighed. 

“I caught a few hours of sleep,” Sam lied. “I’ll deal if she does, you sleep now.” He gestured toward the bed, indicating that she should stay where she was. 

“Okay,” she agreed, lying back on the other pillow, careful not to disturb Gabriel. It seemed surreal to sleep in Sam’s bed with his boyfriend, while he sat there and polished her boots, but Melanie was too tired to care. The next thing she knew, she was waking up, feeling rather groggy and disoriented, with tufts of golden hair sticking in her face. The covers were tucked around her and Gabriel’s arm was slung across her waist, his face buried in her neck. He was sound asleep, wheezing the tiniest snore against her skin, raising goosebumps with every breath. She sighed, rubbed a foot gently up his calf, and allowed herself to fall asleep again. 

The next time she woke up, she was on her side, on the side of the bed that Gabriel had previously been occupying. Someone was spooned up behind her, a very long and muscular arm wrapped around her, huge hand planted firmly on her shoulder. Gabriel was nowhere to be seen. She wiggled back into Sam’s embrace, noting that his dreams must be quite interesting indeed. The clock across the room read 12:17. And though she was still tired, she wasn’t precisely sleepy anymore. Reluctantly she started extracting herself from Sam’s grip and finally managed to slide out of the bed without waking the exhausted hunter. 

Barefoot, Melanie padded down the hallway. The bedroom was an untidy disaster of toys and little girl clothes, and Pumpkin looked up at her in a sleepy feline squint, but there was no little girl or archangel therein. She continued down the corridor, searched the kitchen and the library but did not find them. 

“Pssst! Mel!” came a hiss from up above. She glanced up into the balcony. Gabriel was sitting in one of the chairs at the chess table, the sleeping child sprawled in his arms. She went up the stairs. Beauty and the Beast was playing on the portable DVD player on the chess table in front of him. Gaston was just whipping the townspeople into a murderous frenzy. Melanie dropped into the chair across from him. 

“Feeling better?” she asked. 

“Kinda. Not altogether myself yet, but the nap helped. And waking up next to you was really nice.” He looked her over appreciatively, his eyes shining. 

“We’ll have to do it again sometime,” she said playfully. “Squeeze Sam in there somewhere too, instead of in shifts.” 

Gabriel grinned. “I think that can be arranged. If… if you’re staying, that is. It’s probably safe, relatively speaking, if you wanted to go home now. It’s just… just please don’t start this and then decide to go.” 

“That’s fair,” Melanie sighed. “Just give me some time to let everything settle in before I make a decision. I want this, I do, Gabe. You… and Sam… all of us.” She glanced around, looking across the balcony at the expanse of the bunker. “I’m just not sure this is home.” 

Gabriel shrugged. “Before we found out about this place, we were in motel after motel. Or in some cabin somewhere. Or crashing at Bobby’s. Home is kind of relative. I’ve just been following Sam wherever he happens to be.” 

Charlotte squirmed in his arms, stretching and yawning. She twisted and saw Melanie sitting there. “Mommy!” she shouted joyfully, wiggling off Gabriel’s lap and jumping to Melanie’s. “I missed you.” 

“I missed you too, baby,” Melanie said, snuggling her close and kissing the top of her head. “Did you have a good day with Gabe and Daddy?” 

“Yes! We played Candyland and read stories and Gabe gave me a tricycle. Um, but then after he left I crashed it.” She proudly displayed a bandaged knee. Gabriel winced. “Gabe, Daddy was so so mad when you left. He kept walking around all grumbly. And then Mommy didn’t come back and didn’t come back and then he made me go to bed. And dinner was paskettios and potato chips,” she added, scandalized. 

“Well, today I’ll make some- oh, no I guess I won’t. Still no groceries,” she said with a frown. 

“They’re here,” Gabriel said. “I delivered them before I… went off to find you. Your coat and your purse too. Aaaand… the shopping cart.” 

“I like the shopping cart,” Charlotte giggled. “I gave Pumpkin a ride in it.” 

“You just poofed my whole cart here, unpaid for, didn’t you?” Melanie sighed. 

“…Maybe?” Gabriel said. “Look, I was a little preoccupied what with-“ 

“Yeah, no, it’s good. Good.” Melanie glanced at Charlotte. “Well let’s get dressed and then go make some soup, Munchkin.” She gave Gabriel’s shoulder an affectionate squeeze as she walked by. 

In the bedroom, she retrieved her phone from the purse that Gabriel had retrieved for her. Thirty missed calls from Sam, and four from work. Sighing, she dialed up her boss. 

“Yeah, I will still be doing the conference. I should be back within the week. Charlotte is much better. Just… get Lori to look into the catering services and pick one, we need to book them now, but everything else can wait until Monday. Great. Thanks, Elle.” Melanie hung up and sighed. She had six days to get back home and back to the office. 

Dean and Castiel came home late that night, and the six of them sat down to dinner together. Dean was still angry at Sam, and to some degree Gabriel, over the demon questioning, but they kept an uneasy truce. It seemed to Melanie that they had privately had a blow-up over it elsewhere in the bunker, and were just waiting for the dust to settle. 

Melanie ladled another scoop of rich, green-laden Italian wedding soup into Charlotte’s bowl. The child had gotten her appetite back, especially for her mother’s vegetable-heavy home cooking. “So um. As it turns out, I really need to be back to work on Monday. I can’t reasonably put them off any longer.” 

Sam dropped his spoon. “You’re _leaving_?” he burst out. He looked as if he’d been slapped. Gabriel patted him on the knee soothingly, but shot Melanie a wounded look. 

“I have to finish this conference. And I have to… if I’m leaving them, I have to give notice and train a replacement. And um. Rent out my house. And… oh God, and tell my mother… something.” 

“But you’re coming back when you do all that crap?” Dean asked, gesturing with a breadstick. 

“Would you mind?” 

Dean snorted. “Long as I get my kitchen back once in a while, I don’t care. You really want to hang out with all of us, though?” 

“I wanna hang out with you,” Charlotte said. 

“You wanna learn all about being a Winchester?” Dean asked, grinning across at his niece. 

“Hells yeah!” she exclaimed. 


End file.
